The Malone University women's basketball team shot over 54% in the second half and held its sixth straight opponent under 60 points in a 66-59 victory over Davis & Elkins College Saturday afternoon in Elkins, West Virginia.
 
The victory marked the Pioneers' first three-game winning streak of the season and gave them five wins in their last six games. Overall, Malone is 11-12 on the season and 9-8 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. With the loss, Davis & Elkins slipped to 6-15 on the season and 5-11 in G-MAC play.
 
Recap
In a tightly-contested game from the get-go, Davis Elkins held a slim lead for the majority of the first half. Malone faced a 14-12 deficit at the end of the first quarter, but took a 15-14 lead on a Robin Campbell three-pointer, the first of nine treys for Malone during the game, early in the second. The Pioneers bookended the quarter with another three-pointer from Madison Hunter, but would head into halftime trailing 31-28.
 
In the third, Campbell tied it at 31-31 with a three-ball on Malone's first possession, but Davis & Elkins responded and extended the lead to its largest of the game at 40-35 with 4:09 remaining. The Pioneers answered, however, with three-pointers on each of their next three possessions. Paiten Strother sparked a 9-2 run with a long ball as Campbell and Ellen Doyle followed suit to give Malone a 44-42 lead. 
 
After D&E tied it at 44-44, Chrissie Vaughan put the Pioneers ahead 47-44 after intercepting a pass and subsequently burying a three just as the third-quarter buzzer sounded. Vaughan's triple gave her 28 straight games with at least one three-pointer.
 
A turnaround jumper from senior Naomi Grandison early in the fourth quarter accounted for Malone's first two-possession lead (49-45) of the game, but the Senators battled back. D&E forward Jamiyah Johnson meshed a corner three, the first three-pointer of her career, with 4:50 left to play to give the Senators a 53-52 lead and shade of momentum.
 
That momentum was quickly extinguished on Malone's next possession when Hunter's layup put Malone ahead for good. Two possessions later, Strother buried another deep ball to create some cushion. Another layup by Hunter and another triple by Strother left no doubt. Vaughan canned four late free throws to secure Malone's 66-59 road triumph.
 
Game Highlights
-Malone shot 13-of-24 (54.2%) from the field and 7-of-12 (58.3) from three-point range in the second half.
-Overall, the Pioneers shot 45.3% (24-of-53) from the field, 34.6% (9-of-26) from three, and 90% (9-of-10) at the line.
-Malone held Davis & Elkins to 37.0% shooting (20-of-54) and 4-of-18 (22.2%) from deep. The Senators made 15-of-17 (88.2%) at the charity stripe.
-D&E outrebounded Malone 37-27, including a 12-5 advantage in offensive boards which resulted in a 12-6 edge in second chance points.
-Malone outscored D&E 17-9 in points off of turnovers.
-The Pioneer win marked the second over the Senators in the last two weeks; Malone topped D&E 55-48 in Canton on January 24th.
 
Malone Individual Highlights
-Robin Campbell led Malone with 15 points (6-8 FG, 3-4 3PT), five rebounds, five assists, and four steals.
-Madison Hunter (5-7 FG) registered 11 points and four rebounds.
-Paiten Strother knocked down 3-of-4 from beyond the arc and finished with 10 points.
-Ellen Doyle added nine points, six rebounds, and a block.
-Chrissie Vaughan totaled nine points and three assists.
-Sydney Wentling and Naomi Grandison each scored six. Wentling recorded a pair of steals.
 
Davis & Elkins Individual Highlights
-Jamiyah Johnson led the Senators with 15 points, 13 rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
-Colleena Burdock added 12 points, five boards, and three assists.
 
Up Next
Malone will play first-place Kentucky Wesleyan, winners of 15 straight, next Thursday, February 14 at home at 6:00 pm.