WINCHESTER, Va. - Shenandoah University turned in the best defensive effort of the Michelle Guyant-Holloway era Saturday afternoon in a 64-33 USA South women's basketball victory over Peace College.

Shenandoah (10-9, 6-6 USA South) salvaged a split of the season series with Peace (7-12, 3-10) by taking the 31-point win.

The 33 points allowed is the best defensive effort in Guyant-Holloway's 123 games as the head coach of the Hornets program. The previous best was a 38-point effort against N.C. Wesleyan last season.

SU led throughout the game, scoring the initial bucket on a Haley Smith turnaround jumper in the paint at the 18:20 mark.

Smith's bucket, one of six she had in the contest, started a 10-2 game-opening run for the Hornets.

All 12 of these points came from inside the paint, as SU pounded the ball into Smith (12 points) and senior Sierra Edwards (20 points).

The two combined for 10 of the 12 points in the game-opening spurt.

Peace, which won the initial matchup of the season 48-40 two weeks ago, could get no closer than six points the rest of the way.

A 4-0 Pacer run got PC to that six-point, 14-8, deficit with 8:21 remaining.

Sara D'Amico and Smith answered with buckets on consecutive possessions for the Hornets and SU finished the first half on a 16-9 run.

The second half brought more of the same, with Peace being able to bring itself to within 10 points for just one possession.

With the score 30-21 following a Rebecca Davis jumper at 17:43, Shenandoah scored eight straight points in a span of 1:59 to erase any doubt as to the outcome.

Another run, this one 15-4 over 8:53, allowed Guyant-Holloway to empty her bench in the final three minutes.

All 14 women played at least three minutes for the victors with 12 of the 14 registering at least two points.

SU shot 37 percent (27 for 73) and held PC to 12 of 47 (25.5 percent).

The Hornets also held a 52-31 advantage on the glass.

Peace did not have a player score in double-digits.

Shenandoah hosts Meredith tomorrow at 2 p.m.

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