SALISBURY, N.C. - With senior Jennifer Monroe's second double-double in as many games, No. 17/22 Anderson University women's basketball remained perfect on the season with a convincing 64-36 victory over Catawba in South Atlantic Conference action Saturday afternoon at Goodman Gymnasium.
The victory is the Trojans' eighth straight win to open the season, as they finish the calendar year with a perfect 12-0 record in true road regular-season games, dating back to last season. In addition to the road triumphs, Anderson has won its last 24 regular-season games and its previous 22 regular-season contests against league opponents. The Catawba Indians (4-7, 1-4 SAC) have dropped three of its last four.
Monroe shined on the both sides of the ball, as she matched her season-high with 21 points, while pulling down a career-high 16 rebounds with 13 boards coming on the defensive end. Monroe was the lone Trojan to score in double figures, as junior guard Heather Jankowy closed the contest with nine points, while junior forward Alexis Dillard added eight points and eight rebounds. As a team, Anderson won the battle underneath the basket with 43 rebounds, compared to Catawba's 37-rebound mark. While in the paint, the Trojans closed the contest with a 47.3 shooting percentage (26-for-55) after closing the opening half with a 14-for-25 (56 percent) mark.
On the defensive end, Anderson grabbed 31 defensive rebounds and limited Catawba to just six second-chance points, while also forcing 22 Catawba turnovers, leading to 29 points for the Black and Gold. The visitors also came away with five blocks and 10 steals, while holding the Catawba Indians to 19.4 percent (12-for-62) from the floor.
"I'm really proud of our effort today against a really good Catawba team," Anderson head coach Jimmy Garrity said. "I was really impressed with our defensive effort and the way we controlled the boards. To hold Catawba to just over 19 percent was tremendous. We did a great job of getting the ball in the paint and finishing plays."
The Trojan offense saw a strong beginning, outscoring the hosts, 21-9, for the first 10 minutes of the game. As a team, Anderson shot 63.6 percent (7-for-11) in early goings, as Monroe closed the quarter with nine points and three rebounds. After Jankowy buried a 3-pointer in front of the Catawba bench to open the game's scoring, the Trojans never looked back and maintained their lead for the rest of the day. In the final 3:05 of the quarter, Anderson out-scored the home side, 12-3.
Anderson's offense cooled down in the second quarter, but it still finished with a shooting percentage of 50 percent (7-for-14). After freshman Tamia Eatmon knocked in a jumper for a pair of her six points at the 4:15 mark, the basket began a 9-0 run headlined by a trey from senior Madison Floyd for three of her six points on the afternoon. A pair of Catawba free throws set the halftime score at 36-19.
Catawba cut into AU's lead in the third quarter, as the hosts outscored the Trojans, 14-10, for the period. The Catawba Indians pulled within 11 with less than a minute remaining on a Greta Tamasauskaite lay-in, but a Jankowy jumper in the paint at the 49-second mark snapped a 6-0 Catawba run and set a 46-33 score heading into the final quarter.
Bouncing back after seeing its offense struggle in the third period, Anderson's defense came alive holding the home side scoreless in the quarter until Catawba's Janna Dixon drained a 3-pointer with 26 seconds left, setting the final score at 64-36. AU outscored the Catawba Indians, 18-3, for the fourth quarter and pulled away for its third straight victory over its Tar Heel State rivals in the all-time series. The three points AU allowed in the quarter marks the fewest points scored by an opponent this season against the Trojans.
"Games just before the holiday break can be difficult to play," Garrity said. "But we did a great job mentally on staying in the moment and not letting our minds go on vacation prior to the end of the game. That's a credit to our players and their preparation and dedication to our program."
Anderson closes the 2015 side of the schedule on Thursday, Dec. 31 when it welcomes nationally-ranked Limestone to the Abney Athletic Center in a rematch of the Sweet 16 matchup from last season. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.
