LAGRANGE, Ga. - The Brevard College women's basketball team (7-3, 3-0 USA South) defeated host LaGrange College (8-6, 3-2 USAS), 88-82, on Saturday afternoon in LaGrange, Georgia. It marked the first game for the Tornados since December 8, 2021, as BC rang in the New Year by remaining undefeated in conference play.
The victory marked the 50th career win for Head Coach Donald Hudson, who becomes the winningest Brevard College women's basketball coach in the school's 15-year NCAA-era history. Hudson, a 2011 graduate of BC, reaches the 50-win mark in his sixth season at the helm of the program.
Freshman Aysha Short scored a career-high 23 points in 26 minutes off the bench to lead the Tornados. Short sank a career-best 4-of-5 three-pointers, while also pulling down a career-high seven rebounds in the breakout performance for the native of Morganton, North Carolina.
Sophomore Makenna Parkins also came off the bench with a big output as well, scoring 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting to go along with a team-best nine rebounds.
Veteran starters Shakirah Thompson and Destiny Williams each scored 12 points to give the Tornados four players in double figures.
Making her season debut, Journey Tyler scored a career-best nine points in ten minutes of reserve action. Senior Avery Lockwood added eight points and six boards, while freshman Lexi Shepard dished out a team-high six assists to go along with seven points.
LaGrange jumped on the visiting Tornados following the opening tip, running out to a 9-0 lead over the first three minutes until a Williams' layup snapped the Panther scoring run. LC held its lead throughout the end of the opening quarter to take a 20-12 lead into period number two.
BC answered with a blazing 10-0 run to open the second quarter to take a 22-20 lead after just two minutes of the period's action. Two three-pointers by Short led the charge during the scoring run that also included buckets by Williams and Tyler.
The two teams played tightly over the rest of the period with LaGrange taking a 36-35 lead into the halftime intermission.
The third quarter would belong to the Tornados, however, with BC doubling up the hosts 32-16 in the period. The Tornados were lights-out in the stanza, shooting 75% (12-of-16) from the field, a perfect 4-of-4 from beyond the arc and 4-of-5 from the stripe en route to the whopping 32 points scored in the quarter. Short led the way in the dominant stanza, scoring 12 of 25 points in the third.
BC took a 67-52 lead entering the fourth, however, LaGrange outscored Brevard 30-21 in the final period and cut the deficit into single digits in the final minutes. The Tornados were able to hold off the late Panther charge to earn their third USA South win of the season in as many league games.
Brevard will return to action with its first home game of the 2022 calendar year on Wednesday, January 12 vs. Maryville College. Tip-off for the USA South Conference contest is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Boshamer Gymnasium.
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-BC-