GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Guilford College women's basketball team (18-6, 9-6 ODAC) dropped a hard-fought conference matchup to Averett University (8-15, 4-11 ODAC) 63-58 Wednesday evening inside the Ragan-Brown Field House. Despite a resilient second-half effort, the Quakers were unable to overcome a late fourth-quarter surge by the Cougars.
Anna Giannopoulou (Athens, Greece) anchored the Quakers with a double-double, pouring in 16 points and grabbing 14 rebounds while adding three blocks to her season total.
Briahna Scott (Graham, N.C.) followed with 12 points and five rebounds, while
Markayla Massenburg (Raleigh, N.C.) contributed six points and four boards. The contest also marked a milestone for
Hannah Ajayi (Chapel Hill, N.C.), who earned her first start of the season and finished with six points.
Taylor Dunn (Charlotte, N.C.) matched Massenberg and Ajayi with six points of her own to go along with four steals.
Averett was led by DaiShaundria Giggetts, who finished with a team-high 20 points and 10 rebounds. Jy'Lyia Mizell added 11 points, including a 7-of-7 performance from the free-throw line, while Crishya Sellers followed with 10 points and nine rebounds.
The game remained a defensive stalemate early, with both teams knotted at 14-14 at the end of the first quarter. Guilford found its rhythm in the second period, bolstered by a block and a steal from
Carmyn Claxton (Greenville, S.C.) to help the Quakers carry a 26-23 lead into the locker room.
The Quakers maintained their momentum in the third, outscoring the Cougars 18-15 to take a 44-38 advantage into the final frame. However, the fourth quarter belonged to Averett, as the Cougars capitalized on a late run to reclaim the lead. Despite a three-pointer from Giannopoulou to keep the Quakers within reach, Averett's efficiency at the free-throw line iced the game, 63-58.
Guilford is back in action for their final regular season matchup on Saturday, February 21st, when they travel to Lexington, Va. to take on No. 4 Washington & Lee University. Tipoff is set for 2:00 PM.
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