DENVER – A dominant second quarter propelled the Southwestern University Pirates women's basketball team past the Johnson & Wales University Wildcats with a 66-57 victory, wrapping up a two-game road trip in Colorado.
The Southwestern frontcourt pairing of Cecily Woolfolk and Noel Pratts were dominant, combining for 45 points to outscore Johnson & Wales University 34-10 in points in the paint.
After JWU opened the game with a strong first quarter, taking an 18-17 lead, the Pirate defense locked in, limiting the Wildcats to just 7.1 percent shooting, outscoring JWU 17-5 in the second quarter to take a 34-23 lead at the half.
Both teams struggled in the third quarter, with JWU cutting into the Pirates' lead by two points, and both teams played to a standstill in the fourth quarter.
Woolfolk scored a game-high 25 points on 9-for-17 shooting. She controlled the inside, bullying her way to the free-throw line nine times, converting on seven, while grabbing nine rebounds and blocking three shots. Pratts scored 20 points on 7-for-19 shooting while filling up the box score with four steals, three rebounds, and two assists.
Lauren Fulenwider spaced the floor, hitting three 3-pointers to finish with nine points while dishing out a team-high four assists.
Four of the five JWU starters scored in double figures. Brianna Bailey had a double-double with 15 points but needed 14 shots to get there while committing seven turnovers.
With the win, the Pirates improve to 3-6 on the season and 1-1 in conference play. Southwestern will return home to host Schreiner on Sunday, Dec. 29 at 7:30 p.m.