Des Moines, Iowa - The Central Methodist women's basketball team won its third straight contest with a 77-56 victory over Grand View University Saturday afternoon in Des Moines, Iowa.
With the win, the Eagles improve to 9-5 and 8-5 in the Heart, while Grand View falls to 13-5 and 9-4 in conference play. It also marks Central's first game against a North Division team this season.
Central jumped out to a quick 7-2 lead in the opening two and a half minutes via baskets from Leaianya Massenat and Natalia Shpegal. The Vikings trimmed the lead down to one on two different occasions in the first quarter, but a 17-7 scoring run from CMU pushed their lead to double digits at the end of the opening frame.
The offense continued to roll in the second period, leading by as many as 21 points en route to a 48-33 lead entering the locker room at halftime. Massenat finished the half with 22 of Central's 48 points, matching her fourth-highest point total in just one half of play this season.
The third quarter was slower paced as neither team was able to find a rhythm offensively. Despite only scoring eight points in the third, CMU still held a 15-point lead entering the fourth. Despite a slow third quarter, Central outscored Grand View, 21-15 in the final frame to come away with a 19-point victory.
Massenat led all scorers with 26 points paired with 11 rebounds, earning a double-double. It marks the freshman's fifth straight game in which she has scored 20 or more points, four of which have led to an Eagles victory. Daryna Bachkarova was the only other Eagle to reach double figures, as she finished the afternoon with 23 points, four rebounds, and two steals.
Freshman forward Leah Johnson had another solid outing down in the post, as she scored nine-points and matched Massenat with a game-high 11 rebounds. Johnson also added a team-high three blocks 17 minutes of action.
Shpegal and Michelle Nicholls each chipped in seven points and seven rebounds, while Kellymar Ramirez scored five points.
As a team, Central established a commanding presence down in the low block, outrebounding Grand View by double-digits, 51-40. The Eagles were extremely efficient from the charity stripe, converting 22-of-26 free throw attempts for an impressive 84.6-percent. Grand View finished the day shooting just 14-of-21 from the free-throw line.
CMU is next scheduled to face Mount Mercy Monday, Feb. 1 at 5:30 p.m. in Puckett Fieldhouse. The game serves as a rescheduled date from Jan. 13.
#TakeFlight
