Franklin, Ind. – Zenoviah Walker scored a season-high 18 points to drive the Transylvania women's basketball team to a 62-55 win against the Franklin College Grizzlies on Saturday evening at the Spurlock Center.
Walker unfurled a clutch performance coupled with an all-around night, shooting 7 for 12 from the field and 4 for 5 from the free-throw line, adding four rebounds, and four assists to help the Pioneers grab their third road win of the season.
Transylvania improved to 8-5 overall for the 2020-21 season and 6-2 against Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference opponents. Franklin fell to 4-3 overall and 3-1 against HCAC competition.
After posting their second-highest scoring output of the season the night before against Franklin, the Pioneers picked up from where they left off on Saturday with a 25-point outburst in the first quarter.
Reminiscent of the night before, the Pioneers forced the Grizzlies into a high rate of turnovers and took full advantage, scoring 14 points in the first quarter off seven Franklin giveaways.
Transylvania scored from several quadrants, shooting 9 of 15 from the floor and hit on 3 of 7 triples in the opening period to take a seven-point lead into the second quarter. Calynn Jackson aided the final offensive close with a pair of free throws and Kennedi Stacy knocked in a three-pointer to finish off the high-scoring opening verse.
The Pioneers fought through a scoring lull to start the second quarter, enduring a drought of just over five minutes before Walker scored on a layup to push Transy's lead back to 27-23. Walker continued to catalyze the offense, finding Jackson for a three-point play one minute later to boost the Pioneers towards a 30-25 advantage.
Transylvania split a succession of free throws down the stretch while the Grizzlies sent in one more crucial three-point bucket as the Pioneers maintained a 34-30 lead at halftime. Though the Pioneers missed on all four of their second-quarter three-point attempts, Transy's defense employed an airtight defense, holding Franklin to 29 percent shooting in the first half on 10 for 35 shooting.
Transylvania initiated the second half with an 11-2 run, fueled by inside drives from Grace Shope, Walker, and Madison Kellione. The Pioneers continued to spread the ball around as Ball and Stacy also took the rock to the rim to stretch Transylvania's lead to double digits. Walker punctuated a productive quarter for the Pioneers with a buzzer-beating layup to send Transy into the final quarter with a 52-37 upper hand.
Shope scored the first four points of the fourth to pace the Pioneers as the Grizzlies made one final charge, matching the first quarter with their highest output of any quarter with 18 points.
With Franklin charging and slicing the deficit to seven, Walker came up clutch for Transy with a three-point play to re-extend the lead to 10 for her Pioneers with 2:42 left in the game.
Franklin countered with two buckets over the following two minutes but Ball emulated Walker's three-point play excellence with an old fashioned and-one of her own with 43 seconds left in regulation, placing the Pioneers firmly ahead by nine points to close out matters.
Shope added 10 points, nine rebounds, three steals, and one assist in a game-high 32 minutes.
Transylvania amassed 14 steals on the game and outscored Franklin 38-22 in the paint.
The Pioneers are scheduled to play next on Friday, February 12 as they visit the Hanover College Panthers in Hanover, Indiana. Tip-off between the Pioneers and Panthers is set for 6:00 p.m. from Collier Arena.
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