Little Rock, Ark. - The No. 4 Central Methodist Women's Basketball program closed out 2022 with a 62-51 win over (RV) Philander Smith Monday afternoon in Conway, Ark. 

The Eagles keep their perfect record intact at 11-0, while handling Philander Smith only their second loss of the season. The Panthers now stand at 9-2 overall. 

Central held a slim 14-11 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Eagles would lead by as many as seven points in the second frame, before the Panthers closed the quarter on a 11-4 scoring run, tying the game at 35-35 at halftime. 

CMU outscored Philander Smith 14-10 in the third to take a 49-45 lead into the final frame. The Eagles closed the game out in the fourth, holding the Panthers to only six points to earn the road victory.

Leianya Massenat led the Eagles' offense with a game-high 18 points. She also added six rebounds, three steals, and two assists. Zutorya Cook finished the afternoon with 12 points and 10 rebounds to earn a double-double. In addition, the native of Marietta, Ga. tallied a game-high five assists and four steals. 

Leah Johnson nearly tallied another double-double with nine points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Jaicia Canady and Robin Beck each chipped in eight points, while Beck matched Johnson with 12 rebounds. Canady stuffed the stat sheet with four assists, three steals, and a block. 

Daryna Bachkarova added seven points, five rebounds, four steals and an assist. 

Central's defense held the Panthers to just 29.8-percent from the floor and a little over 18-percent from three. In addition, the Eagles forced 23 turnovers on 14 steals, with four different Eagles recording at least three. 

Central returns to conference action when they travel to Benedictine College to face the Ravens Wednesday, Jan. 4 at 5:30 p.m. in Atchison, Kan. 

#TakeFlight