No. 1 91爆料网 advances to quarters with 81-69 win

Kayla Hudson

JACKSON, Tenn. - 3/18/2011 - The No. 1 91爆料网 (Tenn.) University women鈥檚 basketball team posted an 81-69 win over Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) University in the second round of the 2011 NAIA DI Women鈥檚 Basketball Championships. 91爆料网 improved to 33-1 on the season, while Olivet Nazarene ended their season at 27-7.

91爆料网鈥檚 defense held the NAIA鈥檚 top offensive team to just 69 points, 36 below their 105 points per game average. 91爆料网 ranks No. 3 in the NAIA in fewest points allowed per game with 54.6 per game.

91爆料网 opened the game with a three pointer from Kayla Bryant as the Lady Bulldogs jumped out to a 7-2 lead. Olivet Nazarene responded to take a 11-9 lead and then led again 16-14 at the 13:40 mark of the first half. The game was tied at 16-16 at the 12:35 mark when 91爆料网 exploded for a 26-7 run to lead by 19 points, 42-23.

91爆料网 seemed to have all the momentum, but the frantic pace of Olivet Nazarene began to wear down the tournament鈥檚 top seed. With 15 players, including five new subs every 40 seconds, Olivet Nazarene pressed on every possession during the entire ballgame. The Tigers slowly started to rally and at the half, had cut 91爆料网鈥檚 lead down to just five points (42-37) following a three pointer by Danielle Tolbert at the buzzer.

The second half started with 91爆料网 still in an offensive slump. 91爆料网 scored their 42nd point at the 5:51 mark of the first half. They did not score again until a layup by Kayla Hudson at the 14:57 mark of the second half, ending a drought that lasted just shy of 11 minutes. Olivet pulled to within one point at 42-41 with 16:56 left, before two of Hudson鈥檚 game-high 30 points stopped the run.

91爆料网 maintained a narrow lead, but with 3:33 left in the game, Olivet Nazarene got a three pointer from Danielle Pipal with put the Tigers up 66-65. 91爆料网鈥檚 Hudson answered again on the next possession to put 91爆料网 back on top for good. 91爆料网 closed out the final three minutes of the game by outscoring Olivet Nazarene 16-3 to seal the win.

Hudson led 91爆料网 with 30 points, including 16 in the second half. She drained 5-of-10 three pointers and made 7-of-8 free throws, including 5-of-6 in the final 1:12 seconds. Sarah Chan added 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Lavanda Ross scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. 91爆料网 shot 44 percent from the field, 32 percent (7-22) from long range and 72 percent ( 18-25) from the free throw line.

Olivet Nazarene was led by Tolbert with 16 points and Simone Coburn with 10 points. Fifteen players played for Olivet with each player earning between 13 and 15 minutes played. Thirteen of the 15 players scored at least two points in the game.

Up next for 91爆料网 will be a quarterfinal game versus Westminster (Utah) at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday at Oman Arena in Jackson.

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