NORTH MANCHESTER, IN - The Benedictine University women's basketball team improved to 2-0 on the season by opening play at the Manchester University Tipoff Classic with a victory over Oglethorpe.

FINAL SCORE
Benedictine 75, Oglethorpe 65

THE DETAILS
• Benedictine led for a bulk of the game, scoring the first nine points
• D'Asia Williams, Venita Parsons and Payton Sims all knocked down three-pointers to open the game
• Oglethorpe used a 9-0 run to take a 12-11 lead late in the first
• A huge second quarter enabled Benedictine to gain the advantage
• Trailing 16-15, Georgia Alexakos ignited a 17-2 run with a jumper
• Samantha McCarthy drilled a three-pointer at the 4:19 mark to finish the spurt and make the score 32-18
• McCarthy splashed home a jumper in the final minute of the half to cap a 21-8 quarter and push the lead to 36-21 at halftime
• Oglethorpe would not go away, rallying from down 16 points in the third to battle within five on two occasions before a heave from Alexakos splashed home
• Benedictine again stretched the lead to double figures at 11 points in the fourth quarter before Oglethorpe sliced the margin to five in the final minute
• Benedictine netted the final five points of the game to gain the victory

FROM THE COACH
"We put together an unbelievable defensive effort in the first half," head coach Charlie Averkamp said. "We did a great job of forcing them to take tough shots. Oglethorpe is a good team and made their run, but we were able to hit free throws down the stretch. Georgia (Alexakos) half-court shot going into the fourth really gave us momentum. Payton (Sims) and Samantha (McCarthy), known for their shooting, did an amazing job on the boards. I am proud of this team win."

STAT LEADERS
• Benedictine made 28 free throws and held a 48-45 edge on the glass
• McCarthy came off the bench to lead all scorers with 17 points and added eight rebounds
• Williams and Parsons also reached double figures
• Williams netted 16 and Parsons 10
• Benedictine finished the game shooting 39.2 percent

UP NEXT
Benedictine (2-0) finishes the weekend with a game against the hosts, Manchester University, at 2:00 p.m.