FREDERICK, Md. – The Shenandoah University women's basketball team started its New Year's celebrations a little early Wednesday afternoon by dispatching Hood College 70-55 in non-league action.

Shenandoah (4-6) started slow, missing 12 of its first 14 shots, before taking a lead it would not relinquish midway through the first half.

Hood (2-7) led 11-6 following an Eboni Staples layup at 9:37, but this would prove to be the Blazers high-water mark.

Following a timeout, freshman Mary Severin got the Hornets run started with a layup and then sophomore Imani Heggins went to work.

Heggins, who had 10 of her 15 points in the opening 20 minutes, had a steal and layup on the ensuing possession, and following a Tiffany Bauer layup, produced another steal and layup to give the victors a 14-13 lead with 6:37 remaining.

Heggins kept the run going by scoring four of her squad's next eight points as Shenandoah extended the advantage to nine, 22-13, by the 4:38 mark.

Hood would get no closer than six points the rest of the way.

SU, which took a 28-22 lead into the break, busted the game wide open with a 10-2 run to start the second.

Senior Crystal Petrus, who finished with a game-high 19 points, had seven points during this spurt.

Coach C.K. Calhoun's club kept its lead in double-digits the rest of the way, eventually pushing the advantage out to 21 points by the 9:03 mark.

The Hornets led by 20 as late as the final minute before the Blazers scored the final five points of the game from the foul line.

In addition to Petrus' 19 and Heggins' 15, junior Holly Chittenden had 14 points for Shenandoah.

Petrus was 11 of 12 from the charity stripe.

Hood, which had a 50-44 advantage on the glass, got 14 points from Verkia Smith.

Heggins posted a game-high nine rebounds despite playing just 25 minutes.

Shenandoah is back in action on Saturday with a 2:00 non-league contest at Gettysburg.

###