Blackburn Women's Basketball Defeats Principia on Senior Day

On February 16th, 2019, the Blackburn Women's basketball team defeated the Panthers of Principia College, by a final score of 84-61. The game took place at 1:00 p.m., at Blackburn College in Carlinville, Illinois.

It was senior day at Blackburn College. The Beavers featured senior was the six foot forward, Gariel Pierce. Pierce led the team in defensive rebounds, and scored six points during the game. Along with two assist, Pierce played a vital role in the victory over Principia. 

Offensively, the Beavers played an outstanding game. Several Beavers finished with more than ten points. Among them were guard Jenna Dudra, forward Callista Francis, and guard Lexie Black. Francis led the team in points with 20 total. Dudra was not far behind with 19, and Black finished with eleven. Dudra also assisted with four shots, making her the team leader in assist for the game. Free throws were what sealed the deal for the Beavers, as the team finished with 81.8% on free throws. 

Defensively, the Beavers stood their ground the whole game. Gariel Pierce had ten defensive rebounds, allowing her team to keep control of the ball. Kate Smith finished with six defensive rebounds, and Savannah Kruse had five. Both Pierce and Smith had blocks in the game, with Smith having two and Pierce having one. Smith halso had five steals, which furthered her team in keeping control of the ball for the majority of the game.

Principia was led offensively by their main point guard, Nikki Matters. Matters finished the game with 36 points, accounting for more than half of her team's total points scored. Sophia Hathaway finished second in points scored, with 18. Anna Webster also contributed with seven of her own. The Panthers were 25-63 on field goals, and 6-18 from behind the arc. They were a perfect 5-5 on free throws. 

Defensively, the Panthers couldn't seem to find an answer for the high scoring Beaver offense. Hathaway had twelve defensive rebounds, and Sabrina Netherwood had eight. Hathaway had two blocks during the game, which slightly prevented the Beavers from strengthening their grip on the Panthers even further. In the end, the Panther's defense could not stand against the fast-paced Beaver offense, as the Beavers outscored the Panthers in every quarter except for the second.

With this game, the Beavers have finished their season with an overall record of 5-20, and 1-15 in the SLIAC. The Beavers will be working hard in the coming offseason in hopes of coming back next year with just as much intensity as they played with this year. Several returning players should contribute to the Beaver's hopeful success in the upcoming 2019-2020 season.