BALTIMORE- The Notre Dame (MD) women's basketball team powered past Saint Elizabeth University on Saturday, Jan. 28 by a score of 72-44 to earn their 10
th consecutive victory, their longest winning streak in the CSAC Era.
Alexis Durham led the Gators in scoring, racking up her second consecutive double-double with 19 points and 10 assists.
Kori People continued scoring an elite pace, adding 13 points.
Daija Fitchett added another double-double finishing with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Gators (16-3 overall, 12-0 CSAC) quickly settled into the game, snatching an early four-point lead when People converted a layup in transition. The Eagles (10-8 overall, 8-4 CSAC) fought back, using a 6-2 run to tie the game at nine midways through the opening quarter. In the closing second of the quarter, People slashed to the basket, drawing a foul and completing a three-point play to give NDMU a five-point lead. After
Alexis Jones came away with a steal,
Amya Durham banked in a jumper at the buzzer to give the Gators an 18-11 lead.
Saint Elizabeth fought back, controlling the opening minutes of the second quarter. The Eagles went on 8-2 run to pull within a single point with 7:00 minutes remaining. Fitchett swatted away a layup in transition leading to an
Alexis Durham layup that seemed to swing momentum back toward the Gators. NDMU took full control of the game, going on a 15-3 run to storm into the half with a 35-22 lead.
NDMU continued to build upon their lead in the third quarter, with
Ayana Brim finishing a contested layup in the paint to give the Gators a 19-point edge. The lead would grow as large as 24 points during the third quarter, with the NDMU leading 53-32 going into the fourth quarter.
Alexis Durham and
Bethani Newbold punctuated the victory by drilling 3-pointers down the stretch to secure the 72-44 victory.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- The Gators shot 42.9 percent from the floor
- Alexis Durham played one of best games of the season, finishing with 19 points, 10 assist and seven rebounds
- People came up just short of a double-double, posting 13 points and eight rebounds
- NDMU took advantage of their 12 offensive rebounds, converting them into 18 second chance points
- Brim reached double figures, recording 11 points
- Newbold knocked down one of only two 3-pointers made in the game, finishing with eight points
- The Gators cleaned the glass, holding a 46-33 edge in rebounds
- The Eagles were led by Destiny Battle who finished with 20 points
HISTORICAL NOTE
During the third quarter,
Daija Fitchett pulled in her 1000
th career rebound, becoming the second Gator in school history to reach that milestone! Fitchett joins Toyah Houck (1990-94) as the only players in school history with 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds.
WHO'S NEXT
The Gators will travel to Wilson College on Wednesday Feb. 1 for a critical CSAC showdown. Earlier this season, the Gators defeated the Phoenix by a score of 76-66. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
FOLLOW US
Fans can keep up with NDMU Athletics all season long on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube using the handle @ndmgatorsports.