SALEM, W. Va. – Davis & Elkins could not overcome several scoreless stretches in the early going and 23 turnovers during a 92-72 road loss to Salem (W. Va.) in the opening game of the 2020 calendar year on Thursday.
Davis & Elkins had three players in double figures, which included a career-high 13 points for
Rachel Bolyard.
Jamiyah Johnson posted her eighth double-double of the year with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while
Jay Kilpatrick added 11 points and three steals for the Senators.
Salem had three players in double figures and snapped a four-game skid with the victory, led by 20 points and seven steals from Nia Bishop. The Tigers shot 45.6% from the floor and dropped in 15 three-point field goals. Daniela Quesada added 17 points and a team-high eight rebounds in 26 minutes.
Salem held a 53-36 edge at the half and led by as many as 26 points in the second half. The Tigers also recorded 35 points off turnovers and assisted on 23 of their 36 makes.
THE RUNDOWN
- Salem (3-10) - 92
- Davis & Elkins (2-9, 2-4 MEC) - 72
- T. Edward Davis Gymnasium – Salem, W. Va.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Scoring was tough to come by early on as Johnson recorded the first point of the night for the Senators at the foul line nearly two and a half minutes into the matchup. Aaliyah Holmes canned a three to push the Salem lead to 7-1 and Kilpatrick got her own rebound to draw a foul before converting to free throws at 6:18. Johnson made it just a two-point game with a layup at 5:03.
- Salem used an 8-0 run, keyed by full court defense, for an 18-7 lead with 3:39 left in the first. Sydney Nestor drilled a jumper at 2:03 in the first quarter, trimming the Senators' deficit to seven at 20-13. Alicia Smith stuck a three with under 30 seconds left in the quarter to hand Salem the 27-16 edge after the opening frame.
- Johnson worked her way into double figures with a layup at 7:34 in the second and Allie Taylor recorded five quick points in a five-minute span off the bench in the second quarter, including a three at 5:54. Salem answered with a trey of its own just 14 seconds later, ballooning the lead to 42-28.
- Neither team could find the basket for the next few minutes, until Rachel Bolyard broke the dry spell with a jumper and foul shot at 3:37. Bolyard recorded a three with 34 seconds left in the half, but the hosts were able to take a double-digit lead into the intermission.
- Jessica Eadsforth-Yates converted a three just over 15 seconds into the second half and Mohler made a layup off a string of offensive rebounds to make it 55-41 in favor of Salem. Abbie Bartenslager peeled inside off a ball screen and converted a layup off a feed from Bolyard as D&E trailed by 15. Two foul shots accounted for the final points of the third quarter for the Senators as Salem took a 70-52 edge.
- A scoreless stretch extended from the end of the third quarter and into the fourth for Davis & Elkins, as Salem built the lead to 23 points with consecutive Precious Price three-pointers. The Tigers continually answered any D&E basket with one of its own, eventually stretching the edge to 26 points on a free throw with 3:45 remaining. Bartenslager lined up a three at the 2:59 mark and Bolyard ended the contest with a fastbreak layup and foul shot for the 92-72 final tally.
GAME NOTES
- Johnson secured her eighth double-double of the season, among the nation's leaders. Her game-high 11 rebounds helped the Senators own a 62-40 edge on the glass.
- Taylor finished with seven points in seven minutes, one of several freshmen to have a nice outing on Thursday.
- Bolyard racked up a career-high 13 points and was a perfect 4-4 from the foul line. Thursday marked the second double digit scoring game of her freshman campaign.
- Nine different players scored a basket for Davis & Elkins.
- Davis & Elkins was limited to four of fewer three-point field goals for the eighth time this season.
- Johnson entered the game with top-10 ranks among DII players in four different statistical categories.
- Salem is one of three independent schools in the continental United States, competing without a conference this season.
- Aside from an exhibition against Bowling Green on December 30, this is the first action for the Senators since December 14.
- Thursday's matchup was the penultimate nonconference game this season for Davis & Elkins, who will take on Alderson Broaddus on January 20.
UP NEXT
- Davis & Elkins: The Senators jump back into conference play, continuing its road stretch on Wednesday, January 8 against West Virginia State at 5:30 PM.
- Salem: The Tigers' next two contests are on the road, including Saturday's matchup against Frostburg State on January 2 at 2:00 PM.
