PULASKI, Tenn. – After a slow start, the Martin Methodist Women's Basketball team took the lead at the end of the first quarter and never trailed again in a 63-42 victory over Stillman (Ala.) College Monday night in the club's season opener.
The RedHawks (1-0) went just over four minutes before they found their first points of the night, but erased a small deficit and began to take control of the contest.
At the end of the first, the RedHawks held a 15-7 advantage and their lead ballooned to as many as 18 points in the first half. The RedHawks led by a 30-18 margin at the halftime break.
The second half saw the RedHawks continue to keep the Lady Tigers (0-1) at bay for much of the third and fourth quarters as the squad cruised to a 21-point victory on opening night.
Brooklyn Blanchard led the RedHawks with 14 points. The sophomore point guard added five steals defensively and three assists on the night.
Senior forward Jemia Carpenter added 10 points and 13 rebounds for her first double-double of the season.
Treasure Hunt finished the night with 10 points off the bench for the RedHawks, who posted a 21-of-53 (.396) shooting performance.
The RedHawk defense held the Lady Tigers to a 14-of-56 effort from the floor and collected 17 steals.
The contest marked the first-ever meeting between the RedHawks and Lady Tigers. The two teams are set to meet again in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on Dec. 9. The matchup also provided a preview of a future conference opponent as Stillman College is scheduled to become a member of the Southern States Athletic Conference next season.
The contest marked the 100th career contest on the sidelines of Joe Hardin Court for head coach Kyle Bent. The win pulled Bent one win shy of 70 during his four seasons as the RedHawks head coach.
"Obviously it is always great to start the season with a win against a sound opponent," Bent said. "We had a bit of a slow start there, but I like the way we battled through it and got into a bit of a groove. It was exciting to see everyone get minutes tonight and our newcomers to make their debut in front of a good home crowd. Stillman is coming into our conference next season, so this was a good test for us to start the year. Our schedule gets tough in a hurry so we will take the win and get ready for the next one."
The RedHawks return to action on Friday, Nov. 3 when they travel to No. 22 Cumberland (Tenn.) University. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. in Lebanon, Tennessee.
