Lexington, Ky. - The Transylvania women's basketball team made use of sensational shooting to defeat the Mount St. Joseph Lions, 71-53 at the Beck Center on Wednesday night, extending its current win streak to eight games, the longest span since the 2014-15 season.

Sophomore guard Celia Kline led the Pioneers in scoring with 26 points in the victory. Kline continued her season of prolific shooting, as she shot an astounding 8-for-12 for from beyond the three-point line. As a team, the Pioneers shot 13-for-33 from beyond the arc.

Kline was joined in double figures by sophomore guard Macey Ford, who added 11 points in the Pioneers victory.

Transylvania came out of the gate slow, as the Pioneers' shooting touch was off from distance in the first quarter. Mt. St. Joseph took advantage of the cold shooting to keep pace with the home team. However, the Pioneers used a 15-4 run to secure a 23-15 lead going into the second quarter.  

The Pioneers would extend their lead throughout the second quarter, as Kline knocked down three 3-pointers in the period, extending the Transylvania lead to 43-32 at the half.

 In the second half, Mt. St. Joseph would make a concerted effort to keep Kline from getting open looks at the basket. However, this allowed other Pioneers to get involved in the offense, and sophomore guard Taylor Jackson added seven points in second half for the Pioneers.

Even with the intensified defensive pressure by the Lions, the Pioneers still managed to put in three more 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, as they ascended to the 71-53 win.

With the win, Transylvania moved to 13-3 overall, and 7-2 in conference play, good for a second-place tie in the HCAC standings.

Next on the schedule for the Pioneers is a crucial road matchup with the Rose-Hulman Fightin' Engineers. Transylvania currently trails Rose-Hulman by only one game in the conference standings. The game is set for a 3:30 p.m. start at Hulbert Arena in Terre Haute, Ind.

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