BOLIVAR, Mo. — Henderson State's women's basketball team secured a perfect 2-0 start to the season at the Southwest Baptist Classic with a 75-63 win over the University of Sioux Falls on Saturday.
Hailey Estes had over 20 points and five 3-pointers for the second time in two games, as Pink Jones added 20 points on efficient 9-of-14 shooting as the Reddies. Sioux Falls, who defeated Ouachita Baptist yesterday 91-44, had a much tougher time today, as the Reddies (2-0) held the Cougars (1-1) to just 36.5 percent shooting from the field.
Blu Jones was the third Henderson player to score double-digits, adding 12 points. Lani Snowden went 2-for-4, all from 3-point range, adding eight points for the Reddies.
The Reddies will look to stay perfect when they visit Missouri Southern State on Nov. 16 at 12 p.m. in Joplin, Missouri.
First Quarter
The majority of the first quarter was marked by stingy defense from the Reddies, as they held USF without a basket for over three minutes while extending their lead to six, 14-8. However, the Cougars used a 7-0 spurt in the quarter's final 2:40 to take a slim 15-14 lead after one.
Second Quarter
Henderson's tough defense continued in the second. USF took a three point lead, 21-18, with 7:06 to go in the half, but would score just three points the rest of the quarter. 3-pointers from Snowden and Estes helped to jumpstart the HSU offense, as the Reddies built a 28-23 lead with just over two minutes to play in the half. A Pink Jones layup equaled Henderson's largest lead, as HSU carried a 30-24 advantage heading into the break.
Third Quarter
The Reddies came out firing from the locker room and got two 3-pointers from Blu Jones, which pushed HSU to its first double-digit lead of the day, 40-29. Pink Jones took and made her only 3-pointer of the day moments later to extend the Reddies' lead to 49-35, before a quick 4-0 spurt from USF made it 49-39 heading into the final period.
Fourth Quarter
The Reddies kept the Cougars at bay in the final frame, as two 3-pointers from Estes in just over two minutes put the Reddies in front 57-42. USF trimmed the deficit to 10, but two free throws from Estes, and Blu Jones' third 3-pointer of the day, quickly pushed HSU's lead back out to 63-48. The Cougars didn't threaten for the rest of the afternoon, as the Reddies moved to 2-0 with a comfortable 75-63 win.
