College Women’s Basketball Final – Guilford 73, Bridgewater 57

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Guilford College’s Heaven Walters (Yadkinville, N.C./Starmount) amassed her second double-double of the season in the Quakers’ Saturday evening Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) victory over Bridgewater College, 73-57.

Defense dominated the first five minutes of the contest with both sides deadlocked, 6-6. Four ties highlighted the first quarter as the Quakers’ (18-3, 12-2 ODAC) lead grew no larger than four points after the game’s first two baskets. The Eagles (11-11, 7-7 ODAC) held the Quakers scoreless for a 3:58 stretch that extended into the second quarter as the Quakers regained the lead to open the period, but Bridgewater responded to each Guilford basket with a field goal of their own until the 5:35 mark when Walters’ layup gave the Quakers their first stretch of back-to-back possessions in the period. Guilford’s lead entered double figures with 3:37 left in the quarter and grew as large as 12 points.

Bridgewater opened the third quarter on a 7-0 run for the first 3:31 of the period. The Eagles cut Guilford’s lead to one point on four occasions in the period and tied the contest with 2:10 left in quarter before the Quakers finished the period with two baskets, including Ymani Breedlove’s put-back layup at the buzzer to close the frame. Guilford exploded in the fourth quarter with a 9-0 run for a 2:52 span early in the period to put the Quakers’ lead back in double-digits. Guilford’s lead grew as large as 20 points with 1:16 left in the quarter as the Quakers cruised to victory.

Walters collected her second double-dobule of the season with 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting and ten rebounds. Her first double-double came in the Quakers’ first matchup of the season against Bridgewater December 5th at Bridgewater’s Niniger Hall. Essence Abraham (Greensboro, N.C./Dudley) and Lauren Ramsey (Lexington, N.C./North Davidson) led the Quakers with 16 points a piece with Ramsey collecting five rebounds and three assists. Abraham added five steals coming off the bench.

Briana Moore led the Eagles with 13 points off the bench on four-of-11 shooting while Cassidy Burkholder noticed a double-double 11 points and ten rebounds.

Guilford shot 43.6 percent for the game, including 46.4 percent second-half shooting. Bridgewater shot 35.6 percent from the field, including a first-half effort where the Eagles shot 44 percent. The Quakers shot 63.6 percent from the foul line while the Eagles shot 56.5 percent.

Guilford earned the edge on the glass, out-rebounding the Eagles, 42-40, but Bridgewater held a slight edge on the offensive glass, 16-15. Guilford held a small edge in second-chance points, 12-11.

The Quakers outran the Eagles on the fast break, 14-4, and converted 19 Eagles’ turnovers into 28 points. Bridgewater only produced six points off 13 Guilford miscues. Guilford’s bench held a slight edge in bench scoring, 22-20.

The regionally-ranked Quakers travel to Emory & Henry College Wednesday for a key ODAC contest at 7 p.m.