YORK, Neb. – The York University women's basketball team used a strong third quarter en route to a 78-59 victory over McPherson College Wednesday.
The Panthers are now 4-8 overall, including 2-7 in league play. The Bulldogs fall to 0-15 overall, including an 0-9 ledger against conference teams.
Head coach
Corinna Minjarez's team was paced by
Destiny Shepherd's 18-point, four rebound effort.
Ashley Rubio accounted for a double-double with 17 points and a career-best 15 boards to go along with two blocks.
Alyssa Civitak added 10 points while
Britney Schroer and
Olivia Shannon had eight points apiece.
Pasiko Hvichiani dished out eight assists while adding seven points and three steals.
Down 3-2, Rubio netted the next five points, and the home team never looked back. Holding a 9-7 lead, Shannon and Shepherd hit three-point buckets for a 15-7 edge. A late jumper from Rubio gave the home team a 21-17 margin going into the second frame.
Up 23-20, Rubio hit two free throws and Hvichiani converted a lay-up at the 8:13 mark. Leading 32-27, Shepherd, Hvichiani and Civitak made inside shots prior to Civitak nailing back-to-back three-point baskets for a 44-27 advantage. York held a 46-37 lead at the break.
The Panthers netted the first 10 points after halftime. The visitors broke through with a lay-up at the 5:03 mark, but York scored the next seven points. A free throw with 59 ticks on the clock made it 63-40 going into the final stanza. The 10-minute stretch after halftime saw the Panthers outscore the Bulldogs 17-3.
Rubio and Shepherd hit shots in the first 56 seconds of the final frame and York continued to ensure the visitors would not get much closer the rest of the way.
For the game, York buried 32-of-63 from the floor, including eight-of-25 from downtown. The squad hit six-of-eight from the charity stripe. The Panthers pulled down 41 rebounds and dished out 14 assists. The squad poured in 34 points in the paint and held a 13-6 edge in second chance points.
The Panthers return to action Saturday, Jan. 11, when they play at Sterling College at 1 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at Yorkpanthers.com.
