Women's Basketball | 11/23/2013 5:37:00 PM

Box Score FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - The Methodist women's basketball team topped visiting Washington and Lee, 65-53, in its home opener on Saturday afternoon at the Riddle Center.
 
In the opening seven minutes of play, neither team led by more than three points. With the game tied at 14-14, MU (2-1) used consecutive layups by Jackie Lyles, Maya Banks and Jalisia Campbell, respectively, to claim a six-point edge (20-14) at the 9:51 mark. During this stretch, the Monarchs held the Generals (1-3) to 0-of-5 shooting from the floor and also forced three turnovers. W&L would respond with a 7-1 run, capped by two Katie Wildes at the 6:09 mark, to knot things up at 21-21. Methodist closed out the final 6:09 of the first period with a 15-2 spurt that saw five different MU players score, giving the Monarchs a 13-point advantage at halftime (36-23).
 
Methodist shot 44.4 percent from the floor (16-36) during the first 20 minutes and limited Washington and Lee to a 29.6 field goal percentage (8-27) in that same span.
 
To start the second half, the two teams proceeded to trade points for the better part of seven minutes. An Alexis Wallace layup at the 13:07 mark put the Monarchs ahead by their widest margin of the day (45-28). The Generals narrowed their deficit to nine (47-38) with a 10-2 run, which ended on a layup by Wildes with 7:23 left. In this stretch, W&L took advantage of MU's 1-of-11 shooting as well as four Monarch turnovers. Methodist would bounce back, however, with seven unanswered points, which ended on a Campbell layup at the 5:31 mark, to return to a double-digit edge (54-38). The Generals would never come closer than nine points in the remaining five minutes of action.
 
Methodist held a slight advantage over Washington and Lee in both rebounds (41-40) and field goal percentage (.391-.383). Additionally, the Monarchs forced the Generals into 25 turnovers.
 
Lyles had a game-high 17 points and added three steals for Methodist. Banks totaled 11 points, five rebounds and four steals, and Wallace finished with five points and a team-best eight rebounds.
 
Jackie Clifford paced the Generals with 11 points, five assists and four steals. Paige Corvino had nine points and a game-high 11 rebounds, and Wesleigh Vick ended the day with seven points, eight rebounds and two steals.
 
Methodist will return to action when it hosts Emory & Henry on Tuesday with tipoff scheduled for 7:30 pm.