Virginia Beach, VA - The Regent University Women's Basketball team enjoyed their day off yesterday due to the snowy weather conditions that covered the southern coast this week, and it was clear it helped them prepare for their game against Mid-Atlantic Christian University. The Mustangs have struggled all season long; however, the Royals have not been able to beat them in season's past. While it always feels good to steal a game on the road, a home win always feels better. That feeling has been one that Regent has been chasing all season long, and today's game was no exception to their pursuit.
The Royals started the game off hot, as they tend to do, as in most games this season Regent has quickly jumped ahead of their opponents. Today would be no different and the Mustangs could not keep up with the Royals' scoring. Regent took an early 19-point lead in the first quarter and never looked back. The offense seemed to be clicking for each player, and the defense adjusted to whatever offensive scheme MACU threw at them. The Royals only allowed the Mustangs to shoot a staggering 16.7% from the field, and did not allow a single three point to fall in the first half. Senior Courtney Rowley (Lusk, WY) was on a mission to remind her opponents, teammates, and fans of her shooting capabilities as she continued her three-point assault from behind the arc. Halfway through the second quarter, Junior Jasmeen Lemons (Houston, TX) drove by the baseline and dumped off an assist to Sophomore My'Angel Carter (Toccoa, GA), putting the Royals up by 31 points. As the teams headed to the locker rooms at halftime, Rowley had already connected on five three-pointers and Senior Lyriq Reyes (Bogota, NJ) led Regent defensively with two steals, helping them to the lead 48-13.
The second half began with the same excitement that the first half began with. Regent excelled at passing the ball throughout the game, racking up 24 total assists. This performance set the team assist record for the season. Carter also placed her name in the record books in rebounds tonight, as she now holds the record for most rebounds in a game with 19. By the end of the game, the Royals had set season high records for the following statistics: points scored (73), rebounds (54), assists (24), steals (15), and points allowed (33). The team's performance led Regent to their first win of the season, and Coach Donte Minter's, first collegiate win, 73-33.
Carter finished the game with a double-double, scoring 24 points to go along with her record 19 rebounds. In addition, Rowley added 21 points and 9 rebounds, while Reyes had 13 points, 8 rebounds, assists and 3 steals.
The Royals will be back in action on Saturday, January 25th when they travel to Rock Hill, SC to face fellow South Region member Clinton College. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00pm.
