Spartanburg, S.C. —
Alyssa Petty delivered a dominant 26-point performance to lead Bryan to an 84-72 victory over Spartanburg Methodist on Friday, improving the Lions' record to 15-4 overall and 12-1 in conference play.
Bryan controlled the game from the opening tip, jumping out to a 24-16 lead after the first quarter and never trailing throughout the contest. The Lions' largest advantage reached 19 points, showcasing their command over the home team.
Petty was efficient from the floor, connecting on 10 of 15 field goal attempts while also grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out four assists in 31 minutes of action. Her inside presence proved too much for the Spartanburg Methodist defense, as Bryan dominated the paint with a 48-26 advantage. The Lions came out with great energy and executed their game plan, shooting nearly 50 percent from the field for the game.
Kadee Ferrell provided strong support with a double-double effort of 13 points and 12 rebounds, while
Autumn Davis and
Molly Brown each contributed significantly to the balanced attack. Davis finished with 14 points on efficient 5-of-7 shooting, and Brown added 11 points.
The Pioneers made a push in the third quarter, outscoring Bryan 21-17 to cut the deficit, but the Lions responded in the fourth quarter with clutch shooting, including a 4-for-6 performance from beyond the arc.
Bryan's bench contributed 13 points, and the Lions capitalized on turnovers, scoring 20 points off Spartanburg Methodist's 17 miscues. The visitors also controlled the glass, out-rebounding the Pioneers 49-29.
"Really proud of our team," said head coach
Matt Bollant. "We arrived to the gym 55 minutes before the game, and we didn't make any excuses; we got off to a hot start," he added. "
Alyssa Petty had her best game of the year, and the other starters played really well in this one. Good road win!"
With the conference victory, Bryan continues to assert itself as a force in the AAC standings. The Lions will look to build on this momentum as they pursue their conference championship aspirations.
