MACON, Ga. – Senior guard Kelsie Rhyne scored a game-high 15 points and climbed the glass for eight rebounds to help lead the Brevard women's basketball team to a 61-41 victory over Wesleyan College on Friday evening.
Rhyne, who knocked down 6-of-10 field goals and 3-of-4 free throws, topped double figures for the second time in as many contests. She was joined in double figure scoring by Destiny Williams (12) and Annalee Bollinger (11), as the Tornados moved to 2-3 on the season.
Williams, who reached double figures for the first time since the season opener, finished 5-of-9 from the floor. She was also active on glass, hauling in nine rebounds, and forced three steals. Bollinger made her presence felt at the free throw line, finishing off a 6-for-6 outing, to go along with six assists and two blocks.
Freshman Deja Riddick sparked the Tornado bench with nine points, two steals and a team-best 10 rebounds (six offensive).
Brevard overcame its third quarter shooting woes with a 22-point fourth that included nine points from Williams and five from Bollinger. The sharp-shooting Bollinger opened the quarter with a 3-pointer and Williams singlehandedly scored the next seven points to make for a 49-31 lead.
A free throw by the Wolves' TK Blount was not enough to derail Brevard, which used two free throws by Bollinger and a 3-pointer from Taryn Ledford to take 54-32 lead. The Tornados maintained at least a 20-point advantage down the stretch as a 3-pointer from Jade Napier, coupled with buckets by Williams and Rhyne made for the 61-41 final.
Wesleyan turned up its defensive pressure in the third quarter, trimming the Tornado advantage to eight by outscoring Brevard 14-7. Six Wolves scored at least one point, including Rosine Nguenowou who finished with four.
The rally began with Wesleyan scoring five unanswered points, but a jumper by Napier kept the lead in double figures. Rhyne followed, pushing the lead to 13, 35-22, but Wesleyan managed to score nine of the final 12 points to make for a 39-31 score through three.
Rhyne made her presence felt in the opening stages of the second quarter, scoring four of six points for the Tornados who moved in front 22-10 with 6:57 left. A trey by Shakirah Thompson stretched the lead to 14 just over a minute later, which eventually ballooned to 30-14 after a layup by Rhyne. The two teams traded buckets over the final two minutes of the half as Brevard took a 32-17 lead into the intermission.
Four points each by Rhyne and Bollinger allowed Brevard to take a 16-10 lead at the close of the first quarter. Rhyne, who finished 2-for-3 in the frame, scored the first bucket of the game as the two teams eventually reached a four-all deadlock. Rhyne added to her total at the 4:11 mark, converting a layup, which was followed by 3-pointers by Williams and Riddick as Brevard scored 10 unanswered points.
The Tornados complete their two-game weekend series of games tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. when they face Covenant.