STAUNTON, Va.  A low-scoring, defensive affair opened up in the third quarter as host Mary Baldwin University tripled its slim, six-point halftime lead over Methodist's Monarchs into a 19-point advantage in the 10-minute frame, helping the Fighting Squirrels to an eventual 57-33 USA South Athletic Conference women's basketball win Saturday afternoon.

The Monarchs held Mary Baldwin to 13 points below its season scoring average.

Tyzarea Alexander led the Methodist efforts with a team-high nine points and 13 rebounds, and the starting five for the Monarchs accounted for all but two of the team's points on the afternoon.

THE ESSENTIALS
Final score: Mary Baldwin def. Methodist, 57-33
Records: Methodist 2-12 (1-5 USA South), Mary Baldwin 8-6 (3-3)
Location: Physical Activity Center, MBU; Staunton, Va.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The start of the game proved to be misleading as both teams drained 3-pointers within the first 16 seconds of the opening tip. Katlin Kendrick pushed the Monarchs in front with her opening trey, but MBU's Hannah Varner responded equally with a 3 of her own the Squirrels' first time down the court.
• Midway through the first quarter the teams suffered through a two-minute scoring drought, and after Kadie Snipes dropped in a 3-pointer to pull Methodist to within a point, 11-10, at the 3:02 mark, neither team would score again until the 9:23 mark of the second quarter.
• Though the Monarchs would not own a lead other than from Kendrick's long-range bucket, they would scrape and claw to stay within shouting distance of MBU, even carving the Squirrels' advantage to just a point, 15-14, a little past the midway point of the second quarter.
• The game turned coming out of the halftime recess as MBU scored the third quarter's opening six points, a momentum swing that would carry across the frame's 10-minute span. The Squirrels would end the period out scoring Methodist 19-6 to triple their halftime edge.

GAME NOTES

• Alexander would score six of her nine points in the final quarter.
• Snipes, who tied a single-game program record with six made 3-pointers in her last outing, connected on just one of seven long-range attempts Saturday.
• Keltsy Hardee and Trinity Ross came off the bench to pull down five rebounds apiece, second on the team only to Alexander.
• MBU's Demet Saygili led all scorers with 16 points, came up with six steals and came down with six rebounds.
• Nicole Mallon led all players off the rim with 16 rebounds while adding eight points to the Squirrels' final total.

NEXT UP

• Methodist welcomes Meredith College to the Riddle Center in Fayetteville, N.C., for its next game, a conference contest Tuesday at 7 p.m.
• The Fighting Squirrels have only the night to recover before their next game, a home, conference contest Sunday against visiting Greensboro College.