OWINGS MILLS, Md. – In a game that featured nine first-half lead changes, the Salisbury University women's basketball team emerged from the scrum on top and held on to beat the Stevenson Mustangs, 65-59, on Tuesday night at Owings Mills Gymnasium.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Down 10-6 with 3:18 remaining in the first quarter, the Sea Gulls made their move. Abby Wilkinson hit three-of-four from the foul line in quick succession, then drove into the paint for a bucket to put Salisbury ahead 11-10.
• The Mustangs got four straight points on a triple and free throw from Maleah Smith to go back up 14-11, but Nadia Bullock answered with a jumper and Wilkinson hit two more from the line to make it 15-14 Sea Gulls to close out the period.
• Erin Dixon opened the second quarter with a jumper to put Stevenson back up, but fastbreak layups from Bullock and Ashlynn Burrows tilted the score back to Salisbury, 19-16, at the 8:27 mark. The teams then traded blows and single-possession cushions over a tight five-minute window.
• With the Mustangs nursing a 24-21 lead at the 3:51 mark, Sym Deloatch cut the deficit to one with a layup, then Bullock connected from distance to make it 26-24 Salisbury. Bullock continued her hot stretch three-of-four free throws, then after one Stevenson foul shot Wilkinson again attacked the rim for a bucket that made it 31-25 Sea Gulls, closing out the half on that 7-1 run.
• Burrows' jumper a minute into the third quarter gave Salisbury its largest lead at that point, 33-25. From there the Sea Gulls kept Stevenson at an arm's length, never letting the Mustangs get closer than three through the rest of the period.
• Up 42-39 with 1:33 to go, Hailey Ader sank two free throws and Burrows poured in a layup to push the lead back to 46-39. The Mustangs had a quick answer, though, as Michelle Mesquita converted a three-point play and Tessa Boswell hit one-of-two at the line, whittling the deficit down to 46-43 at the end of the third.
• The two sides traded blows to open the third quarter, with the Salisbury lead jostling between three and five points until a Wilkinson trey boosted the advantage to 55-49 at the 5:08 mark. Wilkinson soon after sank two from the line, then a Burrows layup made it a 7-0 Sea Gull run and 59-49 lead with 1:55 to go.
• The Mustangs put up one final rally, netting six in a row to get back within 59-55 with 53 seconds left, but Kolby Brown got loose inside to boost the lead back to 61-55. From there Wilkinson took over, netting four points in the final minute to keep Stevenson at a distance and allow Salisbury to walk out with a 65-59 win.

SALISBURY GAME NOTES

• Abby Wilkinson netted a career-high 20 points with five rebounds and three assists in 32 minutes off the bench. Wilkinson shot 5-of-13 from the floor and 9-of-12 from the free throw line.
• Wilkinson's previous career high of 19 points also came against Stevenson on Nov. 23, 2021.
• Nadia Bullock set her own career high with 18 points (7-of-14), plus six boards and two assists in 36 minutes of action.
• Ashlynn Burrows chipped in 10 points (5-of-9) with four rebounds and a pair of steals over 36 minutes.
• Emily Dilger added five points with six boards and two blocks.
• The Sea Gulls connected on 38.7 percent (24-of-62) of their field goal attempts and went 15-of-23 (65.2 percent) from the charity stripe.
• Salisbury outrebounded the Mustangs 45-38 and won the offensive battle 14-10.
• The Sea Gulls were plus-two in the turnover margin, forcing 22 Stevenson giveaways.

STEVENSON GAME NOTES

• Maleah Smith just missed a double-double with 10 points (4-of-6) and nine rebounds.
• Tessa Boswell shared the team lead with 10 points, knocking down 3-of-6 from long range.
• Laci Johnson scored nine points, while Emori Jeselkis added seven.
• The Mustangs shot 35 percent (21-of-60) from the floor and went 12-of-18 (66.7 percent) from the foul line.

UP NEXT

• The Sea Gulls will seek to get their record back to .500 with a Saturday afternoon tilt at Rowan.
• Tipoff from Glassboro, N.J., is set for 3 p.m.

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Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with the New Jersey Athletic Conference for football, Coastal Lacrosse Conference for men's lacrosse and the Metropolitan Swimming and Diving Conference for men's and women's swimming. With over 500 student-athletes in 21 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, and dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on-and-off the field. The Sea Gulls have celebrated 22 team national championships, 24 individual national champions, 188 conference championships and 43 Academic All-Americans.

To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or on social media @SUSeaGulls.