Women's Basketball | 1/9/2013 10:07:00 PM

Box Score WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- All five starters scored in double figures and the Methodist women's basketball team held off a late charge from Salem College in coming away with a 66-63 win on Wednesday evening.
 
Salem (7-5) came back from as much as 13 points down in the second half to pull within a single point with under two minutes to play, but the Monarchs (8-3) managed to keep the Spirits at bay.
 
After going into the halftime break tied at 33-33, the Monarchs opened the second half on a 17-5 run to take a 52-40 lead on a jumper by Courtney Woods with 13:20 remaining. T.T Taylor started the scoring with a jumper just 11 seconds into the second period. Emily Huneycutt followed with back-to-back triples and another Taylor jumper was followed by a three from Iesha Hayes as MU went up 46-35 by the 17:08 mark.
 
Following the scoring spurt to start the half, Salem settled down and began chipping away at the Monarch lead, pulling within a single point (54-53) on a free throw by LaSashia Connelly with 7:21 left. A free throw by Brianna Robinson followed by a Hayes jumper gave the Monarchs a four-point cushion (57-53) with 6:08 showing on the clock. Brandi Wilkey's three with 1:32 left to play trimmed the Spirits' deficit to a single point once again (64-63) but the Monarchs made a pair of free throws down the stretch and Salem missed each of its final two shots from the floor, including a potential game-tying three pointer with four seconds remaining.
 
In the first half, Salem raced out to an early 7-1 lead, before Methodist battled back and took its first lead of the ballgame (15-14) on a Hayes shot from beyond the arc at the 13:16 mark. Salem would answer and assume at seven-point lead (26-19) on a Connelly layup with 8:14 left in the half before the Monarchs outscored Salem, 14-7, the rest of the way to knot the game up at 33-33 heading to the half.
 
For the game, MU shot 43.1 percent (22-51) from the floor, including 9-of-15 (.600) from long range. Salem shot 43.9 percent (25-57) from the floor, but only 50.0 percent (8-16) from the line. The Spirits also held a slim 33-29 edge on the glass.
 
Hayes led the Monarchs with 15 points, making good on 4-of-7 three-point attempts. Huneycutt hit on 4-of-5 three pointers and finished with 14 points. Brianna Robinson and Christina Schrader added 11 points apiece and Taylor wound up with 10 points. Hayes also added seven assists, six rebounds and two steals, while Taylor matched her seven helpers and Robinson totaled eight rebounds and seven steals.
 
Shamaz Denerson led the Spirits with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Denika Harden added 10 points and Satavia Taylor had five points, six rebounds and four steals.
 
Methodist returns to the court on Saturday when it travels to Ferrum for a 2:00 pm tip.