by Dylan Foley
JACKSON, Miss. – The Belhaven University Women’s Basketball team opened up the 2022-23 season with an 88-74 victory over Millsaps College on Tuesday inside Rugg Arena.
It was the visitors scored the first basket of the contest, but the Blazers quickly responded to even the score up. After a back and forth first quarter the Blazers pulled away to take an 18-14 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
The Blazers’ offense remained hot and went on a 7-3 run to open the second quarter to bring the score to 25-17. The Green and Gold extended their lead to 14 points with three minutes to go until the halftime break. The majors cut the lead to 10 points, but Belhaven had the 40-30 lead at intermission.
Coming out of the halftime break, the visitors went on a little run to cut the lead to seven points. Belhaven’s offense caught a spark and led the Majors by 16 points late in the third quarter as the score was 65-51 heading into the fourth and final quarter.
Belhaven’s offense continued to roll going on a 7-0 run to open the fourth quarter. The Blazers and Majors exchanged buckets for the majority of the final quarter and Belhaven would go on to seal the 88-74 victory over the Millsaps College Majors in the season opener inside Rugg Arena.
Shatashia John (MBCI) scored 38 points, went 12-for-13 from the charity stripe, and shot 46.2 percent from behind the arc in her Blazers’ debut. Xhiir Burgess scored a double-double in the season opener posting 13 points and 11 rebounds. Ebony Gayden shot 70 percent from the field and scored 17 points in her opening campaign for the Green and Gold.
As a team, the Blazers shot 43.9 percent from the field and 71 percent from the free throw line in the 88-74 victory over cross town rival Millsaps College
