Box Score Quincy, Mass. – The Transylvania basketball team tipped off its northeast nonconference trip on Friday night with a record-setting 103-46 win over the Eastern Nazarene College Lions at the Lahue Physical Education Center.
The Pioneers established a plethora of individual career-highs in a myriad of categories and a team record for three-pointers made on Friday night as Transylvania displayed its athleticism, high level of execution, and A-plus basketball IQ in a comprehensive team win.
The 103 points were the most scored by the Pioneers in the eight-year Juli Fulks era at Transy while the 57-point margin of victory also represented the biggest win over that span. Transylvania connected on 19 of 40 three-pointers in the win, eclipsing its previous record of 18 made threes in a 90-52 win over Franklin College on February 13, 2019.
Transylvania improved to 2-0 in its early 2021-22 campaign, dealing the Lions their first loss of the season as Eastern Nazarene fell to 5-1 overall.
Kennedy Harris was one of several high-level performers for the Pioneers on Friday night. The sophomore made her first career start and set a series of career-highs, including most three-pointers made, attempted, and points in both a half and a game as one of the ringleaders of a high-octane first half offense for the Pioneers.
Harris connected on 4 of 5 three-pointers in the first half for a career-high in both a game and a half with 12 points, finishing the night with a new standard of 15 points on 5 for 6 shooting from the field, all from behind the arc.
Madison Kellione set a new career-high for most three-pointers made and attempted in a game, sinking 7 of 12 triples to lead all players with 21 points on the night. The junior tallied a career-high six assists and added two rebounds in a sharpshooting night. Kennedi Stacy tallied a career-high 12 rebounds to go with 19 points as the junior shot her best field-goal percentage in a single game with a minimum of 10 field goal attempts, nailing 7 of 10 shots. Stacy also registered her first career double-double in the win.
Dasia Thornton dished out a career-high six assists with five dimes coming in the opening quarter as part of an all-around night composed of 15 points and eight rebounds.
Transylvania played its first Division III game in 10 days, heading to the Boston metropolitan area for the weekend to play the first of two games against Northeast region opponents. The Pioneers appeared fresh from the tip as Kellione and Harris sank five combined three-pointers in the first seven minutes of the night to quickly open up a double-digit lead.
Laken Ball had her way inside on three straight scores to finish off a 13-0 run for the Pioneers beginning in the opening minute of the contest. Stacy knocked down a three-pointer on the final possession of the quarter to give the Pioneers a sweltering 31-14 lead after one period. Transylvania assisted on 10 of its 13 made field goals in the opening quarter.
Thornton was off to a productive evening with five assists and three rebounds in the opening quarter before ringing the bell in the scoring column repeatedly in the second quarter, scoring back-to-back buckets on consecutive offensive rebounds and adding another inside basket soon thereafter. Thornton shot 5 for 6 from the field in the first half for a 13-point opening half.
Transy hit 11 of 22 three-pointers in the first half and held a 24-9 advantage in rebounding to open up a 33-point halftime advantage over the hosts in Quincy.
Kellione fanned the flames in the third quarter with three more 3-pointers to punish the Lions defense before Stacy scored seven straight points to continue the scoring onslaught. Harris added her fifth and final 3-pointer of her career evening to lift Transy to an 82-36 lead with under two and a half minutes left in the third.
Samantha Cornelison displayed her three-point shooting prowess in the second half by sinking three triples and Emilie Teall was the other double-digit scorer with 10 points, all 10 of which came in the second half.
With the game well in hand, Transylvania displayed its defensive prowess in the fourth and final quarter, outscoring Eastern Nazarene 16 to 7 to close out the evening with high intensity.
Transylvania shot 56 percent from the floor overall and 45 percent from outside in establishing its new single-game high for three-pointers. The Pioneers finished the night with 29 assists on their 38 made field goals and committed 19 steals to win the turnover margin by seven. Transylvania outscored Eastern Nazarene in second-chance points, 30 to 6.
Transylvania continues its trip through Beantown up to Medford to take on the No. 7 Tufts University Jumbos at Cousens Gym on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
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