MAYVILLE, ND – The Mayville State University Comets women's basketball team looked to improve Saturday afternoon in their second non-conference game of the season, when they hosted the Providence University College Pilots at the Lewy Lee Fieldhouse in Mayville. Sixteen first half points for the Pilots allowed the Comets to cruise to a 96-37 win in front of their home crowd.
"It wouldn't matter if you won by a lot or a little," head coach Dennis Hutter said. "Every coach is going to come in and say, 'You did this well, but we have to do better here.'"
Mayville State jumped out to a 6-0 lead early, on back-to-back buckets by Kylee Heurung and a bucket by Andrea Skillingstad in the first 1:34 of the contest.
It wasn't until 7:19 left in the quarter that the Pilots got on the board, when Katelin Thiessen picked up an offensive board, following an Alena Collier missed bucket. The offensive board led to a Pilot putback, pulling the Pilots to within four points with just over seven minutes left in the opening quarter.
Claire Blaszciek and Nicole Bunting extended the lead to 10 with back-to-back threes in a matter of less than 30 seconds. Blaszciek's three was off her own defensive rebound, and Bunting's three was set up on a defensive rebound by senior Taylor Skjordal.
Off the bench, Taylor Reilly increased the lead to 12 with a bucket with 4:11 left in the quarter.
"Taylor (Reilly) stepped up tonight and hit some shots," Hutter said.
With 21 seconds left in the quarter, and with the game in hand, Jordan Zrust nailed a three-pointer, putting Mayville State ahead 28-6.
The second quarter saw the Pilots try to cut into the lead, but Mayville State would have an answer each time. Blaszciek's trey with 4:36 to go in the half, put Mayville State ahead 45-13.
A pair of Alissa Foster threes also contributed in the quarter.
Thiessen cut the lead to 34 points on a free-throw with 2:39 left in the half.
Erin Walcker and Ama Hutchinson-Jones traded buckets, closing out the first half with a score of 50-16, in favor of the Comets.
Mayville State pulled out to a 45-point lead twice late in the third quarter—the first with 3:43 left, on a three-point bucket by Haley Anderson, and the second with 2:40 left, on a putback by Heather Elfering.
Foster, like in the second quarter, had a three.
The Comets blew the game open in the final quarter, outscoring the Pilots 21-7.
The fourth Foster three came in the final quarter, part of the 21 Mayville State fourth quarter points.
Four Comets finished with double-figure scoring—Blascziek, 14; Foster, 12; Zrust, 12; and Heurung, 11.
"We thought they ran hard and competed," Hutter said. "All we wanted to do was be one percent better."
The Comets and Pilots will tip off at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Lewy Lee Fieldhouse.