LEXINGTON, Ky.—In their season opener, the Transylvania University women's basketball team knocked off the visiting Berea College Mountaineers by a five point margin, 64-59. The Pioneers capitalized on 20 points off the bench and forced three Berea turnovers in the last 1:42 to seal the victory.

Berea pulled within one point with 2:18 remaining in the second half. But sophomore guard Jordin Fender responded on the next possession with an acrobatic layup to extend the Pioneers' lead and swinging momentum back in Transy's favor.

Following a Berea timeout, junior guard Lindsay Hieronymus forced one of 26 Berea turnovers and Transylvania added two more points on a Fender jump shot to take a 61-56 lead. The next trip down the court, a steal by senior center Kayla Dobson led to a Berea foul, sending Hieronymus to the line. She would make both her free throws, extending the Pioneer lead to seven points and capping off a 6-0 run from Transy.

Berea's Anna Loveless, a junior forward, responded with a late three-pointer, narrowing the Pioneer lead to 63-59 with 21 seconds remaining. With seven seconds left, junior forward Chelsea Pharris was fouled after the defense created yet another Berea turnover. She made the ensuing free throw, giving Transylvania its winning margin.

 "Our bench came through with crucial baskets and stops," said head coach Juli Fulks. "We were especially pleased with our defensive effort when shots weren't falling on offense to keep the game within reach."

A three-pointer from Hieronymus gave the Pioneers a 3-2 lead and sparked a 10-0 run for Transylvania. Junior guard Katelyn Smith had seven of the Transy points during the run, including a three that forced a Mountaineer timeout.

The teams would battle back and forth for the remainder of the half before Berea built its largest lead of the contest with 1:02 left in the first period. The Pioneers would bounce back, however, with a 6-0 run. Hieronymus would close out the half with a three that sent the teams to the locker room tied at 31.

In addition to forcing a number of turnovers, Transylvania out rebounded the Mountaineers by nine, pulling down 40 total rebounds. The Pioneers were led by Dobson with seven rebounds while Pharris and junior guard Katelyn Smith each had six.

The win was the first of the season for the Pioneers and was the first of Fulks' career at Transy. The Pioneers sit at 1-0 and will travel to Spalding on Tuesday, Nov. 18. The game is set for 7 p.m.