BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Villa Maria College women's basketball team did not skip a beat on Monday as they defeated Bryant and Stratton-Ohio, 85-49. The win marks the Vikings seventh straight and they move to 12-1 on the year, while the Bobcats shift to 0-8 on the season.
The first quarter was very competitive as both teams traded leads.
Bianca Brown helped Villa grab the initial lead with a three-pointer to start the game and at the 5:17 mark,
Ta Lia Burgess reclaimed a two-point advantage with a three of her own. As the quarter came to an end,
Dakaylah Winfield converted a fast break layup and the Vikings went into the second frame ahead 16-14.
After the first couple of minutes passed,
Tekia Gary kicked off a run with a three-point play, which put the team ahead 20-18. Burgess and Winfield combined to knock down six straight free-throws before
Jordon Wright made a layup to push the lead to double-digits for the first time. Burgess and Gary added buckets and gave the Vikings a 34-20 advantage at the 2:14 mark. After a small push by the Bobcats, Winfield hit a three-pointer with 22 seconds on the clock and went into halftime with a 37-25 lead.
Villa continued to put the pressure on in the third quarter, as Wright scored back-to-back layups and then Burgess made a three to give the team a 50-30 lead. The team forced nine turnovers in the quarter and outscored the Bobcats 25-10 and went into the final frame ahead 62-35. The Vikings put their final touches on an impressive game by scoring 23 points to the Bobcats 14, while forcing another six turnovers.
Burgess finished the day with 19 points and six rebounds, while also grabbing four steals. Gary stuffed the stat sheet in her 33 minutes of play, scoring 17 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, dishing out seven assists, while also recording seven steals. Winfield added 17 points of her own and contributed five assists and four rebounds. As a team, Villa racked up 22 steals and forced 30 turnovers.
The Vikings remain at home for their next matchup on Saturday, Jan 11 when they host Bryant and Stratton-Albany at 2 p.m.
Be sure to stay up to date on all of your Vikings scores and awards by following @VillaVikings on Twitter and by liking the "Villa Maria Vikings" Facebook page.
