Lady Warriors Control Third Quarter; Cruise to Third Straight Win

Lake Wales, Fla. – Lady Warrior basketball is on their every-other-year trip to Florida for the Warner University Classic. Sterling won their opening game against Webber International after dominating the third quarter. The Warriors cruised to a 73-59 win.

Sterling opened the game with a 10-point deficit after not scoring for the first five minutes of the game. Sterling scored the next 8 points to get them back into the game, but was not able to turn the corner and gain the advantage. It felt like everything was a struggle, but the Warriors were not out of reach. As the first quarter came to a close, Sterling found themselves trailing 14-10.

The Sterling College Warriors outscored Webber, also the Warriors, 6-1 to open the second quarter and took their first lead of the game at 16-15 after climbing back from the early ten-point deficit. It was a give and take quarter, though, as Webber regained the lead until the last seconds before the half. Just before time expired, Korynn Clason sized up the Webber defense and hit a jump shot to tie the game as the buzzer went off. It was a 28-28 tie heading into the locker rooms. Clason led the way with 10 first half points for Sterling.

Sterling made a statement in the third quarter, outscoring Webber 34-14 in the frame. It was a quarter of pressure defense and transition baskets for Sterling as they finally gained a little bit of separation. At one point, Sterling scored 13 unanswered points. Alyssa Heskamp drove relentlessly to the basket, often times getting the payoff, sometimes with the three-point play opportunity. Heskamp scored 14 in the quarter along with Evie Gill, who scored 7 in the third quarter, and Clason, who added 6. Sterling took the game from a 28-28 tie to a commanding 62-42 lead with just 10 minutes to play.

Sterling slowed the pace of the game in the fourth quarter having built the lead as they began to coast to another nonconference victory. With the large lead, Sterling was able to get more players on the court, allowing others to get more rest in anticipation of another game tomorrow afternoon. Sterling was outscored in the fourth quarter, but the damage had already been done and the Warriors ended the game with a 73-59 win.

Heskamp led all scorers with 21, most of which came in the third quarter, while Clason ended with 20 with consistent scoring all night. Both Heskamp and Clason grabbed 5 rebounds apiece. Kayla Morris set a career-high in rebounds with 14, just missing a double-double with 8 points. Evie Gill added a career-high of 4 steals.

Sterling shot 36% (27-75) from the field, 16% (2-12) from three-point range, and 85% (17-20) from the free throw line. As has been the trend with Lady Warrior basketball, Sterling made significantly more free throws than their opponent took. Morris and Sterling owned the boards clearing a +7 rebounding margin and won the turnover battle, 18-9.

The Lady Warriors have more wins than losses for the first time this season and hold a 6-5 record. They have won three in a row and five of their last six. Sterling will play the second game of this back-to-back Friday at 11 am CST against the host, Warner University.

Be sure to check for news and updates on Sterling Warrior Athletics on Facebook (/SCWarriors), Twitter (@SterlingCSports), and Instagram (sterlingcsports), as well as the hashtag #SwordsUp. Watch the Warriors' live home events on the Sterling College Sports Network.