MIDWAY, Ky. - Midway controlled the game from start to finish on Saturday, rolling past Indiana Columbus 88-63 in women's basketball at Marshall Gymnasium Saturday.
Prior to the start of the game, the Eagles held a senior day ceremony for soon-to-be departing players Trinity Johnson, Lauren Walton and Jacie Chesser.
Midway set the tone immediately, jumping out to a 24-8 lead after the first quarter. A'Lyrica Hughes sparked the early run with strong plays in the paint, while Walton and Johnson added transition buckets as the Eagles forced turnovers and converted quickly on the other end.
The depth of the roster proved to be a major difference. Midway's bench poured in 43 points compared to zero from IU Columbus, with key contributions coming throughout the second half. Johnson, Walton and Hughes led the balanced effort with 12, 12 and 10 points respectively, as 15 players scored.
Johnson also proved to be a great distributor with a game-high six assists.
Midway carried a 44-28 lead into halftime after outscoring IU Columbus in points off turnovers and maintaining control in the paint. The Eagles finished with 32 turnovers compared to just seven for IU Columbus, with those 32 takeaways leading to 32 points.
The third quarter saw the margin stretched even further. Walton opened the half with a jumper, Hughes and Johnson added transition finishes and the Eagles caught fire from beyond the arc. Johnson, Jermyra Christian, Maddie Nipper and Aleah Arlinghaus all connected from the 3-point range as Midway extended the lead to 66-43 entering the fourth.
The Eagles continued to pull away in the final period. Paige Medley and Annabelle Babb. Each knocked down key shots, Taryn Morris added a late 3-pointer, and capped the scoring with a layup in the closing seconds to seal the 25-point victory.
The Eagles also held a 15-8 edge in second-chance points, showing their strength on the offensive glass. Chesser led all players with eight rebounds.
Now 20-6 overall, the Eagles are 11-3 in River States Conference play, one game ahead of Shawnee State in the RSC East. The Bears improved to 10-4 with an 82-36 win over Saint Mary of the Woods Saturday.
Shawnee State comes to Midway for the regular-season finale next Saturday. Before that, the Eagles travel to Beckley, W. Va. to face West Virginia Tech Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
