COLUMBUS - The Columbus State University women's basketball team used a dominating first quarter to cruise to a 96-49 victory over Fort Valley State Saturday afternoon. The game was a part of the 2019 PBC/SIAC Challenge hosted by Columbus State in the Lumpkin Center.

LeeAysia Williamson and Valeria Merlos were sharpshooters in the contest. Williamson led all scorers with 21 behind a 4-for-6 performance from beyond the arc while Merlos hit five 3-pointers, including three in the second half, on her way to a 19-point outing.  Jurnee Smith netted 12 while falling just one rebound shy of a double-double. Both set career highs. 

"We got off to the perfect start," commented head coach Matt Houser. "The focus at shootaround was staying disciplined, and that's what started it all. I'm really proud of the effort our girls put out there this weekend, and can't wait to dive into the film to start working on a few things."

As a team, Columbus State shot 52.9 percent (37-for-70) and a blistering 55 percent (11-for-20) on 3-point attempts.

The Lady Cougars will have over a week break before hitting the court on Tuesday, Nov. 26 against Tuskegee inside the Lumpkin Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
 

Play-by-Play

First Half

Fort Valley led 3-2 after hitting its second shot of the game, but it was all Lady Cougars from that point on. A 15-2 run, fueled by eight points from Taya Gibson, quickly gave CSU a 17-5 lead. The Lady Cougars would eventually go up by 16 at the end of the first quarter after a Khari Jernigan layup capped off a 7-0 spurt by CSU. By the midway point of the second quarter, Columbus State held a 35-11 lead thanks to 11 straight points. CSU would lead by as many as 33 points in the second quarter taking a 52-21 advantage into the half.

Second Half

The dominating performance continued into the second half. Fort Valley was kept at bay in the third quarter while a 3-pointer from Williamson started the fourth and broke open a 78-38 lead for Columbus State. Merlos also got hot in the final frame. The senior connected three times from downtown over the final seven minutes, including hitting the final two buckets for Columbus State to make the final tally 96-49.

 

Inside the Numbers

• Columbus State improved to 2-0 on the season. Fort Valley State is now 2-3. • The Lady Cougars shot 61.1 percent (11-for-18) in the dominating first quarter. • The 11 made 3-pointers were the most in a game by the Lady Cougars since March 9, 2018. That night CSU also hit 11 against Wingate in the NCAA Tournament. • All of CSU's made 3's came after the first quarter. • CSU held Fort Valley to just a 22.9 percent (16-for-70) shooting mark. It's the best performance by a Lady Cougar defense since Dec. 21, 2016 when Auburn Montgomery shot 22.2 percent in the Lumpkin Center.  • Columbus State forced 20 turnovers leading to 19 fast break points.