LEXINGTON, Ky. - Westminster women's basketball defeated Maryville (Tenn.) in game one of the Pat Deacon Thanksgiving Tournament, 55-50.
The Blue Jays improve to 3-1 with the win.
"Really good win for our ladies tonight against a strong program with a great tradition," said Westminster Head Coach James Arnold. "I love that they found a way to win ugly tonight, they showed so much toughness."
Despite a slow start to the game, Westminster got out to a 4-0 start with a layup from Mirrokohl Johnson and two freethrows from Kendahl Adams.
The next six points for Westminster went to Johnson, until Taylor Howard hit a layup and Payton Beeler sunk a three-pointer to end the first quarter with Westminster up 15-13.
The first six points of the second quarter went to Westminster, but a 7-0 run from Maryville put them fown just one point with just under six minutes remaining in the half.
A three-pointer from Kelsey Ray gave the Blue Jays some room, but Maryville came back to mark their first lead of the game with under four minutes to go.
The Blue Jays went up five on a 6-0 run, but ended the half up 30-27.
Mikalyn Callahan started the second half off with a three-pointer to preserve the Blue Jay lead, but back-to-back Maryville three-pointers put the Scots up three point with five minutes left in the third quarter. Grace Archambault tied the game back up by hitting two freethrows, but five more points from Maryville held their slight third-quarter. A three-pointer from Adams tied the game back up at 43, but the Scots hit a freethrow to end the quarter 44-43.
Westminster held the Scots scoreless through the first five minutes of the fourth quarter while the Blue Jays scored six points to make the score 49-44 with five minutes remaining in the game. With two minutes to play, the Scots came within one point, but freethrows but Johnson and Adams in the final seconds of the game sealed the 55-50 Westminster victory.
Johnson tallied a double double and led all scoreres with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Archambault came one rebound shy of the Westminster gameday record in rebounds, pulling down 16 boards.
The Blue Jays play in the championship of the Pat Deacon Thanksgiving Tournament Sunday.