Women's Basketball | 1/12/2013 4:13:00 PM

Box Score FERRUM, Va. -- Ferrum College broke a 39-39 halftime tie with a 12-0 run to start the second half in defeating the Methodist women's basketball team, 82-66, on Saturday afternoon at Swartz Gymnasium.
 
After playing to a draw with the undefeated Panthers (11-0, 5-0 USA South) for the first 20 minutes, the Monarchs (8-4, 3-2 USA South) missed their first six shots from the floor and turned the ball over four times to start the second half as Ferrum raced out to a 51-39 lead by the 15:07 mark. Courtney Woods' jumper at 14:46 broke MU's drought and made it a 51-41 game in favor of the Panthers.
 
 Methodist managed to pull within eight points on two occasions, the last coming at 9:41 after a pair of free throws by Miriya Bryant that made it 60-52, but FC used a 12-4 scoring run to assume a 72-56 lead with 6:17 to play after a jump shot by Jacole Hairston.
 
In the first half, it looked as though the Panthers were prepared to run away with the game as they took a 27-14 advantage with 10:59 left in the opening half. However, Emily Huneycutt scored eight straight points to pull MU to within five points (27-22) just over a minute later. After FC built its lead back up to nine points (31-22), the Monarchs ended the half outscoring FC, 17-8, led by eight points from T.T. Taylor, to go into the break all tied up at 39-39.
 
For the game, Methodist shot 43.1 percent from the floor (22-51), but made good on just 9-of-25 (.360) shots in the second half. Ferrum shot 53.4 percent (31-58) for the game, including 57.7 percent (15-26) in the second half. The Panthers also outrebounded the Monarchs, 40-27, and forced MU into 29 turnovers.
 
Taylor led Methodist with 12 points and five rebounds. Chandler Christensen chipped in nine points off the bench and Iesha Hayes had five points, four rebounds, six assists and three steals.
 
Hairston led four Panthers in double figures with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting. Tesla Akers added 16 points, and Katy Kipps and Kelsey Frazier added 12 and 10 points, respectively.  Kylene Culler grabbed a team-best nine rebounds to go with six points and Kipps added eight boards.
 
MU is back in action tomorrow when they play at Maryville at 2:00 pm.