Site:
Winston-Salem, N.C.

Score:
Pfeiffer 65, Salem 56

Records:
Salem (7-13, 3-10 USA South) / Pfeiffer (5-13, 4-10 USA South)

Next Game:
Mary Baldwin at Salem | Winston-Salem, N.C. | 2 p.m. | February 3 | Varsity Gym

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Dionne Sampson put an exclamation point on her Salem career on Friday evening at Varsity Gym in the second quarter when she drove the lane and sliced past two Pfeiffer defenders, scoring her 1,000th-point in the process. Sampson became the fourth player in program history to score 1,000 points for the Spirits, along with Sabrina Shepherd (1,493), Quntashea Lewis (1,208) and MiKayla Seivers (1,126).

Sampson closed the game with 10 points, hitting 5-of-12 from the floor, and was one of three players in double figures in a 65-56 setback to USA South Conference rival Pfeiffer. Cree Bass led all Salem scorers with 13 points, converting 5-of-8 from the field and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, while Ti'Erra Lee came through with 10 points and four rebounds.

Lily Gorum was also instrumental in the contest for Salem, equaling her single-game season-high in rebounds with nine. Gorum hauled down four on the offensive glass, while Isabella Childs snagged seven rebounds (five defensive).

FIRST QUARTER
The two teams finished with 15 points apiece with the Spirits finishing with seven field goals, including two each from Corpening and Bass, who combined for nine points. One of Bass' shots came from long distance. Pfeiffer jumped out to an 11-2 lead at the 6:17 mark on a series of free throws from Kenadie Hudler. However, Salem retaliated with seven unanswered, capped off by a trey from Bass to move to within two at 4:46. The Spirits continued their push for the lead, allowing just four points, while Aliyah Corpening and Gorum tied the game at 15-all.

SECOND QUARTER
Bass remained an integral part of the Salem offense, notching six points in the second quarter, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers, including a buzzer beater at the close of the frame. The second quarter brought Sampson's 1,000th-point, which came at the 7:34 mark on a layup past the Falcons' defense to give Salem its 20th-point. Hudler stretched the margin to seven, 27-20, at just over the midway point. However, the Spirits amped up their defense and capitalized on jumpers from Childs, free throws from Cristina Battistini and a long distance 3-pointer from Bass to make for a 31-29 margin at the intermission.

THIRD QUARTER
The two units played an evenly-matched third quarter, both hitting 5-of-16 from the floor, but Pfeiffer took advantage of three free throws to stretch its lead to 44-39 at the close of the frame. After tying the game at 31 inside the first minute of action, Sampson tacked on her fourth point of the quarter just 34 seconds later to give Salem a 33-31 lead. Lee followed with a bucket of her own, stretching the margin to four, but Pfeiffer answered to even the game at 35. The Falcons surrendered just four points over the final 6:47 of the quarter, while scoring nine points of their own, to assume the five-point advantage.

FOURTH QUARTER
Gorum sparked the Salem offense to open the fourth, knocking down two free throws to move the Spirits to within three, 44-41. After a bucket by Hannah Isley moved the Pfeiffer margin to 48-42, Lee came through with a layup to draw Salem to within four. Alexis Bynum drove home a 3-pointer, following a pass from Hudler, with 4:44 on the clock to provide the Falcons with a 53-46 lead. Sampson and Lee converted buckets for Salem, slicing that deficit to five on two occasions, but Pfeiffer knocked down eight free throws down the stretch to complete the nine-point victory.