ANDERSON, S.C. - - On a day when Nia Vanzant set the UVA Wise NCAA Division II program scoring record, it was Anderson that prevailed as the Trojans claimed a 92-71 South Atlantic Conference victory in the Abney Athletic Center Saturday.
Anderson (11-9, 5-5 SAC) used its height advantage to control the glass by out rebounding UVA Wise (13-9, 4-6 SAC) 46-to-30. The rebounding edge was pivotal on the offensive end as the Trojans corralled 17 offensive rebounds and turned the second chance opportunities into 21 points.
Diamond McDowell led the rebounding charge in the win. McDowell finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds, with eight of the rebounds coming on the offensive end as she led all players in scoring and rebounding.
Despite the rebounding struggles, the Cavaliers had a 21-18 lead after the opening quarter. Jamie Cluesman's team shot 62.5 percent from the floor in the opening quarter as Katlin Burger scored 10 of her 13 points in the period.
Anderson quickly flipped the script in the second quarter by making 60 percent of its field goal attempts en route to a 28-point second quarter. The big offensive outburst led the Trojans to a 46-35 halftime advantage.
UVA Wise would trim the lead to four points when Josie Hester sank a 3-pointer at the 7:10 mark of the third quarter to make it a 46-42 affair. It would be as close as the visitors would get as the Trojans would go on a 10-to-3 scoring spurt to push the lead back to double figures.
Anderson's lead would swell to 22 points in the fourth quarter as the Trojans won their seventh consecutive game over the Cavs.
Brittney Stafford netted 17 points in the win while Jalyn Spurlin tacked on 14 for an Anderson squad that also had Xan Rowland come off the bench to chip in 11 points.
Vanzant finished with a team-high 14 points on her record-setting day. The redshirt junior's 3-pointer with less than two minutes to play in the opening half allowed her to move past Taylor Sandidge for the NCAA Division II program era record.
Vanzant now has 1,428 points in her playing career and ranks eighth in school history in scoring.
Caitlyn Ross joined Vanzant and Burger in double-figure scoring with 13 points. The guard added seven rebounds, three assists and three steals to her stat line as she scored in double digits for the 63rd time in her career.
UVA Wise will be back in action Wednesday when Mars Hill visits the Prior Center for a 5:30 p.m. tip.