ELSAH, Ill. – The Westminster women's basketball team defeated Principia 88-44 on Tuesday night for their third consecutive St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference win. The Blue Jays are now 8-5 in SLIAC play and 9-11 overall on the season.

The Blue Jays made their first three shots from the field to take an early 8-2 lead thanks to five points from Mikalyn Callahan and a Kallee Dowler trey. The Panthers proceeded to score the next six points to take a 9-8 lead halfway through the first quarter. Kendal Miller gave the Blue Jays the lead with a three before the Panthers answered with another 6-0 run to go up 15-11. An Abbie Reece layup got the Blue Jays within a basket and Dowler made a jumper to tie the game with 1:23 left in the quarter. Neither team was able to break the tie before the clock hit zero and the first stanza ended with the team knotted at 15-15.

Westminster took control of the game in the second quarter, opening the period on a 14-0 run in which they forced five turnovers. The Blue Jays held the Panthers to just five points in the quarter while scoring 34. Makayla Jackson accounted for 10 of those 34 points going 3-4 from the floor with two three-pointer and making two free throws.

In the second half the Panthers could not claw their way out back into the game and were outscored by the Blue Jays 26-13 in the third quarter and 13-11 in the fourth to lose 88-44.

Jackson finished the game with a season-high 16 points to lead the Blue Jays. Corrie Reece (14 points), Abbie Reece (12 points), Dowler (11 points) and Miller (13 points) also reach double figures for Westminster. Corrie Reece led the Blue Jays in rebounds with 10 for her first career double-double.

Up next the Blue Jays will put their winning streak on the line Saturday afternoon at Blackburn at 1:00 PM.