HATTIESBURG, Miss. – WCU women's basketball made a dominant statement as they defeated Pensacola Christian 88-45 on Monday night at Clinton.
 
The Lady Crusaders jumped out to an early lead, sparked by Addyson Sherer opening the game with a three-pointer. Carey then went on a 10-0 run, with points from three different players, to take a commanding 13-0 lead midway through the first quarter. Pensacola Christian finally broke their scoring drought with a three from Reagan Moilan, but Carey responded immediately with eight straight points, capped by a three-pointer from Brooklyn Cuevas. This stretch pushed their advantage to 18 points with under four minutes remaining in the quarter. Carey finished the first quarter strong, taking a 27-6 lead into the second.
 
Throughout the first quarter, the Lady Crusaders shot over 64% from the floor and 57% beyond the arc, while their defense held the Eagles to just 20% shooting and forced seven turnovers.
 
Nothing much changed in the second quarter, as Cuevas opened with a three, followed by Anna Rose Engle hitting her own three. The offensive momentum continued, and Carey pushed their lead to 46-11 with four minutes left in the half. The final minutes of the second quarter saw Carey extend their lead even further, reaching as high as 39 points before taking a 58-21 advantage into the half. Despite a slight dip in shooting percentage, finishing the quarter at 62.5%, the Lady Crusaders improved their three-point shooting to just under 78%.
 
Coming out of the break, Carey's offense slowed slightly but still managed to extend their lead. Leah Sutton's three-pointer with seven minutes remaining made it 66-21. The Lady Crusaders continued their relentless push, ultimately reaching their largest lead of the game at 79-29 before ending the quarter with a 79-31 advantage and never looked back on their way to victory.
 
Defense played a major factor in the game, as Carey forced 21 turnovers for the game resulting in 31 points. The Lady Crusaders also outperformed in rebounding, grabbing 45 boards compared to Pensacola Christian's 30 leading to a 19-6 advantage in second chance points. Offensively, Carey's bench made a significant impact, scoring 47 points compared to just 18 for the Eagles.
 
Brooklyn Cuevas led all scorers with a career-high 20 points. Shaneal Corpuz added 14 points, while Madelyn Ladner contributed 11.
 
Carey will return to action on Saturday, November 22, when they open SSAC play against Loyola University. Tip-off is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. at Clinton Gym.