Westminster, Md. (November 8) – The Stevenson women's basketball team picked up its first win of the season in convincing fashion Saturday night, defeating Juniata 65–50 in a neutral-site match up in the Rebecca Martin Tip-Off tournament.
After an early Juniata basket, Stevenson quickly found its rhythm behind sophomore guard
Anaya Price, who drilled a three-pointer and added a pair of jumpers to fuel an 11–2 Mustang run.
Nadia Ferguson added a transition layup off a steal, while
Kalea Wynter scored through contact in the paint to help Stevenson take early control. The Mustangs' intensity continued as
Aliyah Jean-Jacques knocked down a short jumper and Ferguson finished a fast-break layup just before the buzzer to give Stevenson a 21–13 lead after the opening frame.
Juniata battled back within four points early in the second, but Stevenson's defense stiffened. The Mustangs forced six turnovers in the quarter, turning them into easy points on the break.
Janiya Ennis set the tone, driving through traffic for a layup and completing a three-point play before assisting
Sanaa Thorne on back-to-back fast-break finishes. Off the bench,
Destiny Towns provided a spark with a layup inside and a feed to Thorne for another jumper as the lead swelled to double digits. Price added two free throws late in the half, and Stevenson entered the break leading 40–30.
The Mustangs maintained full control in the second half, holding Juniata to just ten points in each of the final two quarters. Ennis connected on a mid range jumper and later found Price for a corner three to stretch the advantage. Jean-Jacques and Ferguson dominated the boards as Stevenson finished with a 50–36 rebounding edge, while
Tessa Boswell added a key three-pointer in the fourth to help seal the win.
Ennis led a balanced Mustang attack with 12 points, five rebounds, and five assists, while Price added 11 points. Thorne finished with 10, and Ferguson nearly posted a double-double with eight points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Jean-Jacques and Boswell each chipped in eight points, and Wynter contributed seven rebounds. Stevenson shot 43 percent from the field and outscored Juniata 32–28 in the paint. Throne was also named to the All-Tournament team.
With the win, Stevenson improves to 1–1 on the season and will remain on the road for its next contest on Tuesday, November 18 at 5 p.m. against Bridgewater (Va.).
