WBB: Red Storm Run Home Winning Streak to 20 Games

WBB: Red Storm Run Home Winning Streak to 20 Games with 79-65 Comeback Win Over Hawaii Pacific
Photo by Julie Buchanan Photography
ST. GEORGE Johnna Brown (Las Vegas, NV/Centennial High School) tied a career-high scoring 27 points and helped run the #12 ranked Dixie State College women’s basketball team home winning streak to 20 games tonight with a 79-65 come from behind win over Hawaii Pacific.

Shooting a dismal 27.8 percent from the field in the first half, Dixie State connected on only one three pointer in eleven tries.

Trailing 35-33 at the half, Shanae Vaifanua (Hurricane. UT/Hurricane) and Sheila Adams (Layton, UT/Layton) hit huge three-pointers to push the Red Storm (20-2, 10-1 PWC) on a 15-5 run to start the second half.

But, it was a tale of two halves for the Red Storm. They shot 53.8 percent in the second half and were able to take control of the game with sound execution.

DSC connected on 14-26 from the field and made three huge shots from behind the arc to secure the comeback win.

Assistant Coach LaNay Larson said, “Our defense made the difference in the second half. We emphasized it at halftime and made some adjustments to try and take away points in the paint.”

The Red Storm forced 13 of the 21 turnovers in the second half and turned those into 13 second-half points.

The Seawarriors (16-6, 10-3 PWC) shot 40 percent from the floor. Courtney Buster scored a team-high 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to collect a double-double. Skye Savini scored 14 points and Mana Hopkins added 13.

Going 10 for 10 from the free throw line and five of six from the field, Breann Hill (Harrisburg, PA/McDevitt) scored 21 points and grabbed five rebounds for DSC. The nation’s leading blocker Erica Carlson (Tucson, AZ/Canyon del Oro HS) swatted away six more shots tonight and added eight rebounds. She now has 90 on the season and is just six away from setting the school single season record.

“Both played great tonight. We didn’t feel like they had anyone that could go one on one with Bre so we went flat a lot tonight.” Larson continued. “Johnna is a hard matchup for anyone. She did a great job taking it to the hole and hitting jumpers when she need to.”

18 of the 20 Dixie State victories this season have come by double digits.

Winning twenty games for the first time in the D2 era, head coach Angie Kristensen picked up her 86th win just four seasons at the helm of the Red Storm.

The Red Storm will finish their regular season home schedule on Wednesday night when they host Notre Dame de Namur University at 5:30 PM inside the Burns Arena. It will be the annual WBCA “Pink Zone” game, where everyone wears pink and proceeds go to benefit women’s cancer research.

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