Women’s Basketball advances to the Semi-Finals with the big win over Bluefield

KINGSPORT, Tenn. (Feb. 23, 2022)- The Point University women's basketball team tipped off their first game in the Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament against Bluefield University, where they successfully defeated the Rams 80-57. 

With the first two layups, Marta Gimenez and Ky'Leo Worriels got the Skyhawks going. Gimenez continued to show her leadership as she scored her second layup of the day to bring Point ahead by two. Mataea Boyd started her day with a three-pointer to put the Skyhawks forward by five. The Rams retaliated by going on an 8-0 run, which saw them take the lead, but Sheyvonne Owens and Mataea Boyd did not waste time to put Point back ahead. Jasmine Griggs' defensive leadership was displayed as she went for the pickpocket steal and finished on the other end with a coast-to-coast layup. The run for Point continued as Mataea Boyd, and Sheyvonne Owens made the last two layups of the quarter to lead 19-12. 

The Skyhawks took their most significant lead as Mirial Cannon and Ky'Leo Worriels scored the first two baskets to lead by 12. The Rams did not back down from the hot start from Point as their shots started to fall and would cut the Skyhawks' lead to seven. The attack in the paint from Point continued to keep them ahead as Ananda Hughley and Sheyvonne Owens showed their strength by finishing through the contact in the post. However, Bluefield held the Skyhawks to just two more scores while adding six more points to trail by three going into the half. 

Point came out of the half with a plan to start fast and convert, which went in their favor as Ky'Leo Worriels continued to give the Rams problems in the post as she scored the first layup. Mirial Cannon breezed past the defense for the easy take of the lane before Coach Wooley called the timeout to ensure the team focused on the task at hand. Point came out of the timeout and added much more aggression on the offensive end which started with the layup from Jasmine Griggs. The Skyhawks responded to the three-point bomb from the Rams by converting their next two shots to bring their lead to 12. Sheyvonne Owens continued to roll on offense as she could not be stopped in the paint, scoring her next two layups for Point to end the quarter with a 54-40 lead. 

With the fourth quarter at hand, Marta Gimenez set the tone for the rest of the quarter as she made the first three-pointer to extend the lead to 17. Ky'Leo Worriels returned to the game after a quick break and did not slow down on offense as she continued to score in the paint. Marta Gimenez brought Point's lead to 20 as she knocked down her second three-point bomb of the quarter. Point's dominance in the paint was a repetitive cycle that could not be broken as Mataea Boyd added fuel to the fire by using her speed and strength for a take in the lane. Kyra Hart came off the bench and added a spark on the court with a shot behind the arc, followed by Sheyvonne Owens scoring the final basket for the Skyhawks to win 80-57. 

In the box 

Marta Gimenez led with 18 Points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Mataea Boyd followed with 14 Points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. Sheyvonne Owens added 14 Points off the bench, along with eight rebounds. 

Coach's Quote 

Head Coach Tory Wooley was pleased with how the team responded to their slow start and dominated the paint. "After a slow start, our players put together a solid second-half performance in spectacular fashion. We did an outstanding job rebounding the ball and got great contributions from both of our centers, Sheyvonne Owens and Ky'Leo Worriels. Marta Gimenez and Mataea Boyd's offensive contributions were also special. This was a great team win, and we're looking forward to our match against Montreat tomorrow." 

Up Next 

With today's win, Point advances to the Semifinals which will take place tomorrow at 4:00 P.M., where they will take on #6 seed Montreat College.