WINCHESTER, Va. – The Shenandoah University women's basketball team opened up its 2015-16 home slate Saturday afternoon with a 52-47 non-league victory over St. Mary's of Maryland.
Shenandoah (3-5) won for the first time in four games and extended its winning streak over SMCM (3-4) to four straight with the five-point victory.
Trailing 13-9 after one thanks to a 10-2 Seahawks run to complete the opening stanza, SU got itself back in it by scoring 10 of the initial 12 points of the second.
Coach Melissa Smeltzer-Kraft's club was able to extend its advantage out to four points on two occasions before the 'Hawks used an 8-4 run to complete the period to send the two teams into the halftime break knotted at 23.
SMCM scored the first four points of the third, on two Kobe Chaney free throws followed by an Olivia Nowlin layup, to take what proved to be its final lead of the contest.
The Hornets closed out the third by outscoring their guests 10-4, led 33-31 after three and never trailed again.
Another run, this one 14-6 to start the fourth, pushed the SU advantage out to 10 points, 47-37, with 4:34 remaining and allowed the Hornets to coast home to the victory.
St. Mary's would get no closer than five points the rest of the way.
Freshman Shannon Kuhn, Shenandoah's leading scorer, paced the victors with a game-high 18 points with sophomore Kirstyn Arcata adding 11.
Junior Erin French had 12 rebounds.
Kobe Chaney had 16 points and 14 rebounds for the 'Hawks.
SU shot 33 percent for the game to 31 percent for SMCM.
"This game wasn't pretty, but both teams battled for 40 minutes. We were able to persevere and we continue to grow every time we take the floor."
Shenandoah is back in action Monday night in a 6 p.m. non-league contest at Marymount.
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