RALEIGH, N.C. – Dionne Sampson was the catalyst for a Salem offense that had five players reach double figures in a 92-83 overtime win over William Peace on Saturday afternoon in Raleigh, N.C. Sampson became the first player since Tyler Davenport (Feb. 4, 2018) to eclipse the 30-point mark for Salem and just the seventh player in the NCAA history of the program with a 30-point outing.
Sampson not only established a career-high in points, but she also set a career-high mark for steals (12), capping off her first double-double and joining Tyler Davenport and Tamsi Echendu as the only players in 2021-22 to record a double-double. She was joined in double figures by Davenport and Alize Brooks, who tallied 15 apiece, Alize Munn (11) and Echendu (10). The victory moves Salem to 4-19 overall and 3-14 in USA South play.
Sampson finished 13-of-24 (54.2%) from the floor in her performance, knocking down 3-of-8 from beyond the arc. She highlighted a Salem lineup that finished 37-of-89 (41.6%) from the floor and 15-of-25 (60%) from the free throw line. The Spirits also owned a 52-44 advantage on the glass, grabbing 31 defensive rebounds.
After a William Peace 3-pointer to open the fourth, Salem used scores by Munn and Sampson to grab a 78-77 lead at the 3:51 mark. Echendu and Sampson paired to push the lead to 82-77 before the Spirits eventually moved in front by six with 1:03 left on a Brooks free throw. Four free throws down the stretch, two each from Bass and Brooks, secured the Salem win.
The Pacers grabbed a nine-point advantage early in the fourth quarter, but Salem clawed back to even the score at 65-all following a layup by Davenport. William Peace eventually moved in front by four, 71-67, but a Sampson 3-pointer coupled with an Echendu layup made for a 73-72 lead with 34 seconds left. Munn evened the game at 74 with a layup of her own, forcing the overtime session.
Salem regained the lead of the game for the first time at the 7:27 mark of the third, following a layup by Savanah Atkins. Sampson moved the lead to four, 47-43, just over three minutes later, but William Peace answered with a 14-4 run to lead 57-51 through three.
William Peace established a 24-8 lead after the opening quarter of play, hitting 7-of-21 from the floor and 3-of-6 from the 3-point line, while limiting the Spirits to just three field goals and a free throw. Sampson provided the first bucket of the game for Salem, but the Pacers scored seven unanswered. The Spirits bounced back to pull within two, 9-7, but William Peace retaliated with an 11-1 run to close out the quarter.
Salem's offense found its rhythm in the second, notching one of its best offensive quarters of the second as the Spirits outscored William Peace 31-15. Salem was 11-of-18 (61.1%) from the floor, hitting one 3-pointer along the way, while connecting on 8-of-12 (66.7%) free throw attempts. Facing a 12-point deficit entering the frame and a 27-10 William Peace advantage less than a minute in, the Spirits used nine points from Brooks to trim the margin to 30-25 with 4:02 left. Salem continued to chip away at the Pacer lead, using a layup by Munn to make for a three-point contest. Bass scored the final points of the quarter, knotting the game at 39.
Salem returns to action on Wednesday, February 16th, when it closes out the season against Southern Virginia on the road at 6 p.m.