LYNCHBURG, Va. – Kylie Stark was responsible for a game-high 14 points while teammates Natalie Clark (13) and Cierra Cook (10) reached double figures to help lead Randolph to a 62-37 win over Salem on Wednesday, November 10th in Lynchburg, Va. It marked the fifth straight win in the head-to-head series for the Wildcats, who also improved to 3-0 on the season.
Salem (0-1) was led offensively by the duo of Tyler Davenport and Dionne Sampson, who finished with 10 and nine points, respectively. Davenport reached double figures after hitting 2-of-5 from the floor and 6-of-8 from the free throw line. Sampson converted a team-high four field goals, including one from beyond the arc.
Lauren Privette led the Spirits in rebounding with seven, grabbing six defensive boards along the way. Davenport and Tamsi Echendu were also active on the glass with six rebounds apiece. Defensively, Davenport and Kyana Thomas forced two steals for Salem.
Stark led all scorers by hitting 6-of-10 from the floor and 1-of-4 3-point field goal attempts. Clark was efficient in her performance, draining 3-of-4 field goals, all from long distance, and was 4-of-6 at the charity stripe. Meanwhile, Cook was 4-of-16 from the floor, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers along the way. Teniyah Crenshaw and Madi Tyree controlled the glass with seven rebounds apiece.
Salem built a 6-2 lead early in the first quarter when Savanah Atkins drove past the Wildcats' defense for a layup that followed buckets from the combination of Davenport and Sampson. Randolph trimmed the margin to two, at the 3:17 mark, but Sampson stretched the margin to five with a 3-pointer following a pass from Davenport. The Wildcats responded by scoring the final three points of the frame to make for a 9-7 Salem lead after one quarter.
Randolph answered with a 22-3 run in the second quarter, hitting 6-of-14 from the field and 3-of-8 from beyond the arc. Yanessa Cabrera tied the contest at nine-all at the 8:11 mark, but Sampson answered with a bucket of her own to put Salem back in front just over minute later. The Wildcats closed out the final 6:23 of the half on an 18-1 run, assuming a 29-12 lead at the intermission.
Davenport provided the first two points of the second half at the 7:45 mark of the third, making for a 33-14 Randolph advantage, and knocked down a jumper less than a minute later. Atkins and Echendu provided the remaining points for Salem in the frame, resulting in a 50-20 Wildcats lead.
The Spirits tallied 17 points in the fourth quarter, taking advantage of 5-of-15 shooting from the floor and 7-of-15 shooting at the free throw line. Alize Brooks provided a bulk of the offense, scoring six points by virtue of a 2-of-3 shooting performance from the floor and a 2-of-2 outing at the charity stripe. Davenport added four for Salem. The Spirits grabbed 14 rebounds in the fourth quarter, receiving three from Davenport and a pair from Atkins.
Salem returns to the court on Saturday, November 13th, when it hosts Virginia Wesleyan at 1 p.m. at Varsity Gym.