WINCHESTER, Va. – The Shenandoah University women's basketball team ran its season opening winning streak to three games with a 75-73 non-conference win over Hood College Wednesday evening.
The Hornets (3-0) led by as much as 15 in the second half, but had to hold on as Hood (1-2) wouldn't go away.
Shenandoah helped its opponent stay in the game by shooting just 40 percent (14 of 35) from the free throw line, but made up for it by hitting 54 percent of its shots (28 of 52) from the field.
With the two point lead in the final 10 seconds, SU again missed a pair from the line that could have iced it and then had to get a Kanesha Foster steal at the buzzer as Hood attempted to feed the ball into the paint.
The steal was one of seven that the Hornets had on the evening and led to the 23rd and final turnover of the game for the Blazers.
After the two teams traded the lead eight times and were tied on two occasions early in the contest, Shenandoah took the lead for good on a Kirstyn Arcata 3-pointer at the 13:13 mark of the first.
Arcata's trey, one of five the Hornets hit on the night, started an 8-0 run that ended with a Breya Wallace free throw at the 11:32 mark.
Shenandoah extended this lead to 12 with 7:23 before taking a five-point, 40-35, lead at the break.
The lead remained at least five points and was as large as until 3:42 remained, when Hood began to foul in an attempt to get back in the contest.
The Hornets missed four of six from the line and turned it over four times in the final 3:22, but got a pair of crucial Holly Chittenden free throws at the 19 second mark and then Foster's steal to clinch the win.
Chittenden led all players with 21 points while Erin French recorded her first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Wallace had 13 points and Arcata 12 to round out the double-digit scorers for the victors.
Shenandoah takes to the road Saturday for a 2:00 non-league contest at St. Mary's of Maryland.
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