Muskingum senior Catie Smith scored a career-high 22 points to help lead the Muskies past Manchester on Wednesday afternoon in the Anne C. Steele Center, 76-66.
The Basics
- Records: Muskingum (1-2 overall), Manchester (1-2 overall)
- Location: New Concord, Ohio – Anne C. Steele Center
Inside the Numbers
- Smith erupted for a career-best 22 points on 6-of-10 shooting, which included hitting 5-of-6 from behind the arc. She also added four steals, four assists, and three rebounds in 34 minutes of action.
- Senior Olivia Besancon had 19 points and seven rebounds.
- Senior Alexandra Carson chipped in 11 points and freshman Emily Yeager tossed in 10 points.
- Muskingum shot .355 (22-of-62) from the floor and hit a season-best 12 three-point shots to propel the Muskies to a season-high 76 points.
- The Muskies made 20-of-23 free throws and held a 44-42 edge in rebounds.
- Nicole Weaver led Manchester with 17 points.
- Beth Schaefer added 15 points and eight rebounds, while Mikalia Taylor had 12 points and nine boards.
- The Spartans shot .349 (22-of-63) from the floor.
Game Highlights
Manchester opened the game with back-to-back three-point shots to take an early 6-0 lead. Muskingum responded by outscoring the Spartans 19-5 to close out the final eight minutes of the quarter to take a 19-11 lead. The Muskies maintained control in the second quarter en route to taking a 38-26 lead into the break.
In the second half, Muskingum ballooned its lead to 44-30 on a Smith three-pointer with 7:43 on the clock. The Spartans answered the Muskie surge by going on a 15-0 run over the next five minutes to take a 45-44 lead. Muskingum regained the lead for good on freshman Kacie Leppla's jumper with 2:17 left in the quarter. The Muskies took a 49-47 lead into the fourth quarter. Muskingum slowly increased its edge to 68-58 with 3:54 left in the game and hit clutch free throws in the final minute to seal the home win.
Up Next
- Muskingum next hosts John Carroll on Saturday, December 3. Game time is slated for 3:00 p.m. and will mark the Ohio Athletic Conference opener for both teams.