Virginia Beach, VA – On Saturday afternoon, the Regent University Women's Basketball team kicked off a doubleheader as they hosted Toccoa Falls College in a non-conference game. This was the Royals' first game back since Thanksgiving, and they were looking to start the end of the year stretch on a winning note. In the end, the outcome would not be what they wanted, but despite the setback, Regent showcased one of their strongest rebounding efforts of the season and displayed flashes of cohesive team play on both ends of the floor.
The Royals came out energized, opening the game on a 6–0 run behind early three-pointers from fellow Freshmen Kennedy Shipman (Virginia Beach, VA) and Amara Groth (Chesapeake, VA). Regent's ball movement and half-court defense set the tone early, forcing Toccoa Falls into contested shots while Juniors My'Angel Carter (Toccoa, GA) and Shardae Williams (Fredericksburg, VA) controlled the paint on the defensive end.
However, turnovers began to shift the momentum late in the first quarter. Toccoa Falls capitalized on several transition opportunities, closing the quarter with the advantage, 20-13. The Royals continued to battle through the second quarter, limiting the Eagles to just 13 points and holding them to 25% shooting in the frame, but as the teams headed into the half, Regent trailed 33–24.
The Royals' best stretch came in the third quarter as they tightened their defensive rotations and attacked the basket. Groth connected on a mid-range jumper and a three-pointer, while Junior Zipporah Johnson (Waterford, MI) added a deep three to spark an 8–2 run. Williams contributed strong minutes in the post, scoring on a series of inside looks, and Carter continued to dominate the boards — grabbing five rebounds in the quarter alone, cutting the deficit to just four points at the end of the quarter, 47–43. However, despite late efforts from Freshman Eliza Entzminger (Winterville, NC) and Groth, who each knocked down perimeter shots, as the final horn sounded, Regent would fall by a final score of 67-52.
Groth and Williams each finished with 10 points, while Carter grabbed a team high 14 rebounds. In addition, Johnson and Entzminger added 8 points apiece.
The Royals will be back in action on Wednesday, December 10th when they host North Carolina Wesleyan. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00pm.
