RALEIGH, N.C.  Methodist women's basketball finished up the regular season on Saturday afternoon with a trip to Meredith College for a USA South Athletic Conference game. The Monarchs could not prevent the series sweep for this season as the Avenging Angels were victorious, 71-48, in the Weatherspoon Gymnasium.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Meredith def. Methodist, 71-48
Records: Methodist 14-10 (9-8 USA South), Meredith 8-15 (9-8)
Location: Weatherspoon Gymnasium; Raleigh, North Carolina

HOW IT HAPPENED

• With Kate Perko and Mikayla Thompson scoring four points each, Meredith held an 8-2 lead to start the ball game. Over the next five and half minutes in the first quarter, Jillian Peterson recorded four of the next six Monarch points to bring her team with three, 11-8. The teams traded three points each to make it 14-11 in favor of the Avenging Angels at the end of the first.
• An opening bucket by Peterson saw Methodist only down one before three consecutive baskets by Meredith put them back up 18-13. An eventually 17-1 run by the Avenging Angels ballooned their advantage to 20+, 37-14. Right before the break, Aneesa Irizarry record the only other made field goal, of the period, for the Monarchs.
• Methodist would open up the third stanza on a 6-0 run but just as the team got those points they would give them right back to Meredith. Eight of the next 10 Monarch points were scored by way of the free throw line to bring the team back to within 16 of the lead.
• A couple of field goals and some free throws by the Avenging Angels pushed their lead back up to a 23-point difference, 57-34. Of the final 14 points scored by Methodist, Peterson and Aniyah Tate accounted for 10 of them, respectively three and seven.

MORE TO IT

• Meredith got a monster day out of Perko. She had 29 points, 21 rebounds, and five blocks (all game-highs). For the Monarchs, Peterson led the team with a new career-high 17 points.
• The Avenging Angels held a 13-rebound difference, 45 to 32, over Methodist in the contest.
• Not a great shooting day for the Monarchs, especially in the second quarter. Methodist, who was two of 18 shots from the field, were not able to match Meredith's 57.9 (11 of 19) shooting percentage.

UP NEXT
Methodist qualified for the upcoming USA South Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Tournament, as the sixth seed. The first game of the tournament is on Tuesday with a trip to Brevard College, the three seed. Game time has not been announced yet by the two schools.