Junior guard Gracie Brunel of the LaGrange College women's basketball team scored 19 of her game-high 24 points in the second half Tuesday afternoon, as the Panthers cruised to a 73-45 non-conference victory over Mississippi University for Women in Mariotti Gym.
Brunel shot 7 of 9 from the field and 5 of 7 on 3-pointers in the final 20 minutes, as the Panthers (6-4, 2-1 USA South) outscored the Owls (1-9), 49-24, in the second half during the first-ever meeting between the programs.
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Brunel's six 3-pointers were a career-high and tied for the seventh most in a single game in program history. The Broxton, Georgia, native also chipped in with a game-leading five assists, to go along with five rebounds and three steals.
She went 4 of 4 from deep in the fourth quarter and has now scored 22 or more points four times this season. Brunel is averaging 18.3 points per game, the fourth most in the USA South.
"Today's energy from the team was good, however we did start the game off a little slow," said Brunel. "Moving forward, we need to start the game with a higher energy level. This team is special and has great talent."
Senior forward Megan English finished with nine points and battled in the paint, grabbing a team-best eight rebounds. She shot 2 of 5 on 3-point shots and tallied three steals. Freshman guard Britney Chavez (9 points) was instant offense off the bench, going 3 of 6 from distance. Senior guard Jada Brown filled up the box score with eight points, three rebounds, three steals and two assists.
"We missed many shots in the opening 20 minutes, but found a great rhythm in the second half," said LaGrange College Women's Basketball Head Coach Jasen Jonus. "I liked our defensive intensity and the way we battled. We still have a long way to go as a basketball team, but we are seeing glimpses of our potential when we put it all together."
Rokila Wallace led the way for the Owls, tallying a team-high 22 points and a game-best 14 rebounds. MG Chamberlain scored 16 points for the visitors.
A 3-pointer 2:10 into the first quarter by Chamberlain gave the Owls a 5-0 lead. LaGrange responded with an 11-2 surge and took an 11-7 advantage on a trey by Chavez with 5:08 on the clock. A three-ball by freshman guard Bryanna Sanders gave LC a 16-10 cushion at the end of one.
Freshman guard Ema Turner came up with a steal, and then finished a transition layup with 3:45 remaining in the second, putting the Panthers in front, 22-17. A pair of free throws by Brunel in the final second sent LaGrange into halftime with a 24-21 advantage.
LaGrange came out with high energy in the third, taking a double-digit lead for the first time at 39-29 with 3:42 left on five straight points by Brunel. In the final minute of the third, Chavez buried a 3-pointer and Brunel knocked down a mid-range jumper, sending LC into the fourth with a 45-31 lead.
In the opening 4:15 of the fourth, LaGrange drilled five 3-point shots, with four coming from Brunel and one by Chavez. LaGrange opened the fourth on an 18-5 run, as a free throw by senior guard Jalaya Lewis extended the lead to 63-36 with 4:36 on the scoreboard. In the second half, LaGrange shot 17 of 33 from the field and 9 of 17 on 3-pointers.
LaGrange's defense held the Owls to 14 or less points in all four quarters, while the Panthers scored 21 and 28 in the third and fourth, respectively. The hosts limited the visitors to 29.2% shooting from the field and 14.3% on 3-pointers. The Panthers led the bench-points statistic, 32-4, and the points-off-turnovers category, 21-8.
The Panthers will compete against Bridgewater State (Mass.) Sunday at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m.
Assistant Sports Information Director Trevor Wenners can be reached at twenners@lagrange.edu.
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