Box Score Lexington, Ky. – The Transylvania women's basketball team pushed its win streak to seven games as it defeated the Manchester University Spartans 68-45 at the Beck Center on Saturday afternoon thanks to its continued shooting prowess.
The Pioneers were led in scoring on the day by sophomore guard Celia Kline, who recorded 17 points on 6-for-13 shooting, and 5-for-10 shooting from beyond the three-point arc.
The double-digit scoring performance by Kline was her fourth in a row, and her 13th such game of the year. Kline is now averaging 15.4 points on the season, the second-highest mark in the HCAC.
Kline made her presence known right from the opening tip, as she knocked down a pull-up three-pointer just over a minute into the game to give Transylvania the early 3-0 lead. After mostly trading baskets with Manchester, Transylvania held a 15-10 going into the second quarter.
The Pioneers used the second quarter to create separation between themselves and the Spartans. Transylvania outscored Manchester 14-4 in the opening minutes of the quarter, which ended in Transylvania boasting 37-19 lead.
Coming out of the halftime break, the Pioneers picked up right where they left off in the second quarter. A 9-0 run was capped off with a layup from junior forward Carlee Clemons that gave Transylvania a 46-19 lead, its largest lead of the day with 5:47 remaining in the third quarter.
Transylvania used its unselfish style of play to control the game throughout the second half. The Pioneers were content to use the majority of the shot clock on most possessions, causing the Spartans to exert extra effort on defense.
The total team performance, in which all 14 Pioneers saw playing time, ended with a 68-45 win for the Pioneers.
Transylvania recorded 17 assists on 23 field goals, led by junior guard Sarah Ashley, who dished out seven assists in the Transylvania win.
Transylvania got a scoring boost off the bench as sophomore guard Kristen Hayes scored 13 points in addition to her three rebounds in the Pioneer victory.
With the win, Transylvania improves to 6-2 in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference play and 12-3 overall. The seven-game win streak is the Pioneers' longest such stretch since the 2014-15 season, the last time the Pioneers made a trip to the NCAA Division III tournament.
Transylvania will look to push their winning streak to eight games when they face the Mt. St. Joseph Lions on Wednesday night, January 18. The game is set for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off at the Beck Center.
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