SALISBURY, Md. – The Salisbury University women's basketball team used a strong second quarter to take the lead and maintained their composure as they took down the Stevenson University Mustangs, 73-51, in front of a vocal crowd at the Maggs Physical Activities Center.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Sea Gulls were slow out of the gate as the Mustangs went on a 9-0 run over the first four minutes. Abby Plaugher started the scoring for Salisbury as she knocked down a three.
• Stevenson used a lay-up by Erin Dixon and a three-pointer by Amoni Taylor to build the Mustang lead to 11. The Salisbury defense came up huge, not allowing the Mustangs to score in the final three and a half minutes. The Sea Gulls used three-pointers by Plaugher and Tatiana Virata to cut the deficit to five to head into the second quarter.
• The start of the second quarter witnessed Salisbury fight to draw even with Stevenson. Jen Juhring and Alex Bull combined for six points in the opening minutes to put the Sea Gulls within three. Salisbury went on a 17-4 run in the final five minutes of the opening half to take a 32-24 lead into halftime.
• Led by Kayla Nieberlein, the Sea Gulls opened up the third quarter with a 10-5 run to establish a 13-point lead over Stevenson. The Mustangs used a run of their own over the next two and a half minutes to erase the Salisbury lead.
• Nicole Miller silenced the Stevenson run with a three-pointer to highlight Salisbury's 7-2 run to end the quarter.
• The final quarter of play saw the Sea Gulls solidify their lead, outscoring Stevenson 24-7 during the final 10 minutes. Bull and Tori Rumbaugh each produced seven points while Miller added four of her own. Juhring provided a layup while Abbie Switzer and Hailey Ader each knocked down a pair at the charity stripe to close out the contest.

 
SALISBURY GAME NOTES

• Nicole Miller tied for a game-high 15 points, going 6-of-14 from the floor while adding three rebounds and an assist.
• Alex Bull tied with Miller, scoring 15 points as well while shooting 6-of-17 from the floor. She additionally grabbed three rebounds and dished out three assists.
• Hailey Ader snagged a game-high 14 rebounds while providing four assists and eight points after going perfect at the free-throw line.
• The Sea Gulls shot 25-of-69 overall, 7-of-23 from three, and 16-of-22 at the charity stripe.

 
STEVENSON GAME NOTES

• Elia Richardson scored a team-high 12 points, going 3-of-5 from the floor and 5-of-6 at the free-throw line.
• Erin Dixon provided eight points of 4-of-10 shooting while recording three steals and three rebounds.
• Tessa Boswell went 3-of-9 from the field for seven points, grabbing three rebounds and providing two assists.
• The Mustangs shot 20-of-50 on the night, going 4-of-14 from beyond the arc, and knocked down 7-of-10 at the free-throw line.

 
UP NEXT

• The Salisbury University women's basketball team will head to the campus of Moravian University to take on the Capital University Comets on the first day of the Steel Club Classic.
• The contest is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 29 at Johnston Hall in Bethlehem, Pa.

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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 and men's and women's swimming, and the Coastal Lacrosse Conference for men's lacrosse. With over 500 student-athletes in 21 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have celebrated 23 team national championships, 24 individual national champions, 197 conference championships, and 45 Academic All-Americans.
To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.