Ring's 26 points help lift SAU Knights over Bluefield Rams
LAURINBURG, N.C. – The St. Andrews women's basketball team secured an AAC win against Bluefield College on Tuesday evening with a score of 61-57.
How It Happened
Yontyanna Melvin baskets the first shot for the Knights from an offensive rebound but the Rams followed with a 3-pointer to take the 2-3 lead. Back-to-back shots from behind the arc from Dominique Cooke and Samantha Ring put the Knights ahead by 5 points within the first 3 minutes of play in the AAC matchup.
St. Andrews stayed hot from the 3-point range, drilling 3 shots from behind the arc within the next two minutes to push the Knights lead to 11 points with less than 4 minutes remaining in the first quarter.
Bluefield was able to shave the lead down to single digits, trailing 19-12, going into the second quarter.
The Knights offense stayed hot in the next 10 minutes of the game, started off by a three-pointer sank by Samantha Ring. Ring then followed with a shot in the paint to extend the lead into double digits with a score of 26-15. Dominique Cooke recorded the next two baskets of the game, followed by a shot from Yontyanna Melvin to put the Knights on a 12-point run.
The score was 35-18 going into the third quarter but the Rams recorded the first shot of the quarter with a 3-pointer that was soon matched by Samantha Ring. The Rams tallied two free throws, but Dominique Cooke made up for them with a basket from behind the arc, making the score 42-26 in SAU's favor.
The Rams came within 10 points of the Knights with 3 minutes remaining in the third quarter, with a score of 45-35, but St. Andrews bounced back with back-to-back 3's from Ring. Bluefield was able to record 5 points from a field goal and a 3-pointer shortly before a basket from Samantha Ring and a shot from behind the arc from Natalee Graham.
Bluefield College secured 10 baskets in a row to cut the Knights lead to just 2 points, with 50 seconds left on the clock. St. Andrews had two major blocks with 6 seconds remaining as the Rams tried to tie the game.
A made free throw from Brittani McDonald was all that it would take for the Knights to secure the win with a score of 61-58.
Key Players
The Knights were led by Samantha Ring, recording 26 points with 7 3-pointers.
Also recording double-digits for the Knights was Yontyanna Melvin with 13 points and Dominique Cooke's 10.
Courtney Rowe and Yontyanna Melvin each collected the team-high of rebounds with 6.
Up Next
The St. Andrews women's basketball team will remain at Harris Court for their next competition as they host Allen University on January 9th for a 5:30 pm tip-off.
About St. Andrews University
St. Andrews University is a branch of Webber International University located in Laurinburg, NC. The University's mission is to offer students an array of business, liberal arts and sciences, and pre-professional programs of study that create a life transforming educational opportunity which is practical in its application, global in its scope, and multi-disciplinary in its general education core. Students will acquire depth of knowledge and expertise in their chosen field of study, balanced by breadth of knowledge across various disciplines, while pursuing a degree at associate, bachelor, or master level. Special emphasis is placed on enhancing oral and written communication, and critical thinking skills. The international quality of the student body enriches personal experience and promotes understanding of international cultures and influences. Through an atmosphere in which self-discipline, creativity and cultivation of ethical standards are enhanced, the University is dedicated to teaching its students the "how to learn, how to think, and how to apply method" to each new challenge.