No. 3 Knights Continue to Roll in Michigan, Advancing to National Semifinals

By Spencer Dean

Rosedale, Md.— The CBBC Essex Knights Women's basketball team added to their historic winning streak Wednesday night, beating Mesa Community College in the NJCAA Division II National Tournament Quarterfinals by a score of 72-50. The Knights were led by guard Lyric Swann, who dropped 28 points with four rebounds and three assists in the matchup. Kelly Foster was the runner-up in terms of scoring with 13 points coming off the bench.

In what turned out to be a slow start for both teams, the Knights were led by Lyric Swann and Kelly Foster in the first quarter with a combined ten points. As a team, the Knights shot a remarkable 4-7 from the three point arc in the first period of play.

Lyric Swann caught fire in the second quarter, shooting three-for-five from three, and added three points from the free throw line. Swann absolutely dominated the quarter, scoring 14 points, which was more than Mesa scored as a team. The Knights aggressive defensive performance in the first half was on display as the team only allowed 18 points in the half, nine each quarter. The final score of the first half was 36-18, in favor of Essex.

The third quarter continues to be an area of success for the Knights as they outscored Mesa 25-16. Lyric Swann and Kelly Foster combined for 12 points in the quarter, with both hitting four free throws each. The Knights did most of their third quarter damage from the free throw stripe, going 12 of 13 as a team in the period.

Fatigue affected the Knights in the fourth quarter, as they were outscored 16-11 by Mesa. The Thunderbirds cashed in going three-for-four from the three point line. The Knights went a mere 3-for-21 from the field in the fourth but were able to stay focused on the task at hand, beating Mesa by a final score of 72-50.

Essex was able to make the most of their opportunities from the free throw line throughout the entire game, shooting 22 of 25 from the line. Neither team shot the ball particularly well as the Knights shot 29.6% from the field, and Mesa shot 31.1% from the field. Once again, every Knight recorded a rebound in this matchup, with Vanessa Woodfolk leading the squad with ten boards. Anasia Stanton grabbed eight rebounds, while Kelly Foster added seven of her own. The majority of the Knights points came off of turnovers. The Knights turned on the jets forcing Mesa to commit 28 turnovers on eleven steals, and we able to score 28 points off those turnovers.

The Knights will attempt to continue their historic stretch Friday, as they dance with the #7 seed Morton College at 6pm. This will be the first NJCAA Division II Semifinal matchup of the tournament at SC4 Fieldhouse in Port Huron, Michigan.