BREVARD, N.C. – Graduate forward Destiny Williams matched her career-high scoring with 32 points while also totaling a career-best eight steals, but the Brevard College women's basketball team (8-5, 3-2 USA South) fell 75-64 to LaGrange College (11-6, 6-1 USAS) on Friday evening at the Boshamer Gymnasium.
Williams, a native of Aiken, South Carolina, totaled 32 points for the third time in her career, matching the total she accumulated last season in the USA South Conference West Division Tournament at Piedmont (March 3, 2021), and earlier this season at Bob Jones (December 7, 2021). The graduate hit 11 field goals in the game while going 9-for-13 at the free throw line. Williams totaled her fifth double-double of the season by grabbing the second-most rebounds of her career (14).
Williams was two steals shy of a triple-double, as she swiped a career-best eight steals – an effort that is tied-for-third most in a single game in BC's NCAA-era history. Williams' eight steals on Friday night give her 230 total for her career, which moves her up to second place in Brevard's NCAA-era record books, passing Madison Lenox '17 (229 steals).
Sophomore forward Makenna Parkins added 13 points with five rebounds and a career-high four assists, in addition to draining a career-high three 3-point jumpers. Avery Lockwood and Melvia Seymore each totaled five points to aid Brevard's efforts.
The visiting Panthers were paced by Gracie Brunel, who had a team-high 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting and a game-best four 3-pointers. Breonna Glover added 14 points, while Kendra Roberts posted a 10-point performance.
LaGrange was able to outshoot the Tornados 51% to 38% from the field while hitting six 3-pointers. The Panthers found their largest advantage from the free throw line, hitting at a 71% clip to BC's 44%. Both sides were near-even on the boards and both dished out 14 assists, with LaGrange committing 23 turnovers to Brevard's 21. The Tornados scored 28 points off LaGrange miscues, and totaled 21 second-chance points. The two sides had identical scoring totals from inside the painted area (38 points) and off the bench (23 points).
The defeat gives the squads a season split against one another, as the Tornados claimed an 88-82 victory at LaGrange on January 8.
The Panthers quickly jumped to a 7-0 lead through the contest's first three minutes of action, as LaGrange held an 11-5 lead with 4:19 left in the first quarter. A Parkins 3-pointer and a Naliyah Boyce layup cut the score to a one-point deficit at the 3:29 mark. The visitors extended their advantage back up to an eight point margin, 24-16, as the first period came to a conclusion.
The Tornados kicked off the second quarter on a 13-4 scoring run, as back-to-back 3-pointers from Shakirah Thompson and Williams gave BC its first lead of the evening, 29-28, with 5:56 left in the first half. BC would take its largest lead of the contest after a Boyce layup made the score 31-28 in favor of the Tornados.
Both sides took turns with the lead in the closing minutes of the first half before LaGrange scored five points in the final 20 seconds to retake the lead, 39-36, heading into the halftime break. Williams led all scorers with 18 points at the intermission.
Brevard was able to tie the contest back up on two different occasions: 44-44 following a Williams layup and 46-46 after a pair of Williams free throws. However, LaGrange was able to retake the lead and hold a five-point, 56-51 margin as the contest shifted to the fourth and final quarter.
The Panthers were able to pull away in the game's final quarter, scoring 13 of the first 17 points through the first five minutes to take a game-high 14 point lead, 69-55, with 5:35 left to play. BC battled back with a 6-0 run of its own, cutting the lead back down to eight points after Parkins' third 3-pointer of the night. However, the visitors were able to close the contest out, taking a 76-65 decision to claim the conference victory at the Boshamer Gymnasium.
The Tornados return to action Saturday at 2 p.m. when Brevard faces Covenant College for a USA South Conference matchup at The Bosh.
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