Urbana University’s starting five all scored in double figures in Saturday’s 94-60 blowout of West Virginia Wesleyan inside the Grimes Center in MEC women’s basketball.
With the win, UU improved to 10-6 in league play and 14-8 overall on the season. Wesleyan fell to 3-19 (1-15 MEC) on the year.
Tyra James posted her fifth double-double in six games with 16 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. The grad transfer from Cincinnati eclipsed 500 points this season and needs 77 to break the school’s single-season scoring record.
Bailey Draughn also led with 16 points while Weston Minnich scored a career-high 15 points on 5-of-5 shooting from three-point range. Minnich and Draughn combined to shoot 12 of 13 from the field.
Additionally, Sylvia Hudson, who continues to close in on the UU career scoring mark, recorded 13 points and six rebounds while Kami McEldowney stuffed the stat sheet with 12 points, five assists, four boards and three steals. Six other players scored, including a career-high eight points from Shaylaya Heath.
UU tied its season-best percentage from three-point range by draining 9 of 14 from beyond the arc, including 6 of 7 over the first 20 minutes of action.
The Blue Knights shot a blistering 69 percent in the first quarter and kept their foot on the gas to build a 20-point halftime lead. Minnich and Draughn each had 12 points at the break.
Coming out of the locker room, Hudson drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the key and the rout was on. The UU lead swelled to as much as 38 in the fourth quarter.
The Blue Knights shot 50 percent overall in the contest while going 17 for 20 at the free throw line. The Blue and Grey also held a decisive edge on the boards with a 54-35 margin.
UU plays at Frostburg State on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
UU men fall
With a 70-56 loss on Saturday to visiting West Virginia Wesleyan College, the Urbana University men’s basketball team now stands tied for the last spot in the Mountain East Conference tournament.
UU (5-17, 4-12 MEC) jumped out to an early 9-2 lead thanks in large part to a pair of three-point shots from Tehree Horn.
Horn would finish the game with 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting from the field and 4-for-9 from behind the three-point arc to lead the Blue Knights.
The 9-2 lead would quickly evaporate thanks to a 10-0 run by the Bobcats to go up 12-11.
A pair of Matt Ashley layups and Tyler Kegley’s first 3-pointer of the season put the Blue Knights up 16-12 with 11:12 remaining in the first half.
Then, the Blue Knights went cold.
It would be nearly eight minutes before UU would make another field goal as Wesleyan went on a 19-2 run to take a commanding 31-18 lead at the 3:44 mark of the first half.
Dusan Vicentic led the way for the Bobcats (9-13, 8-8 MEC) with a 26-point and 14-rebound performance.
Wesleyan outscored UU 50-22 in the paint and won the battle of the boards with a 41-33 rebounding edge.
The Blue Knights would find themselves down 52-38 with 10:16 remaining in the game, but a quick 6-0 run spanning 1:10 of action saw UU cut Wesleyan’s lead to single digits for the first time since the 2:46 mark in the first half.
Vicentic then reeled off the next seven points to put the game away as the Bobcats extended their record against the Blue Knights to 13-3.
Mario Lacy Jr. was 6-of-9 from the field for 12 points for the Blue Knights. Shaunn Monroe also broke the double-digit column with 10 points for Coach Josh Gibson’s squad.
UU plays at Frostburg State on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
