Site: Brevard, N.C. / Boshamer Gym

Score: Brevard 96, Salem 84

Records: Brevard (5-3, 3-0 USA South) / Salem (1-6, 0-3 USA South)

Next Game: Johnson & Wales vs. Salem / Saturday, December 17 / 2 p.m.

BREVARD, N.C. — Salem junior sharpshooter Alize Munn scored a career-high 25 points, hitting 11-of-17 from the floor, while grabbing five rebounds, but Brevard countered with five players in double figures, including Calli Wells, who scored 22, to help the Tornadoes claim a 96-84 victory at Boshamer Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon in USA South Conference action.

Munn, led all scorers in the contest, logged 35 minutes and finished 11-of-17 from the floor and was successful on 3-of-4 at the free throw line. She also climbed the glass for five rebounds, pulling down four on the defensive end. Tamsi Echendu narrowly missed her second 20-point game of the slate, finishing with 19 points after converting 7-of-9 from the floor and 5-of-7 at the charity stripe.

Dionne Sampson reached double figure scoring for Salem, hitting 6-of-15 from the floor and 5-of-8 free throws, while handing out four assists and forcing four steals.

Salem closed the game by hitting 32-of-65 (49.2%) from the floor, including three 3-pointers, and knocking down 17-of-23 at the free throw line.

Wells' 22-point outing led the way offensively for the Tornados, who were 33-of-80 (41.3%) from the field and 24-of-28 (85.7%) at the free throw line.

FIRST QUARTER
Brevard grabbed a 25-16 lead through the opening quarter, hitting 7-of-20 from the floor and taking advantage of a 10-for-12 outing at the free throw line after Salem was cited for seven fouls. The Tornados stormed out to a 10-0 lead before Sampson put Salem on the board with a layup at the 5:47 mark. Salem would trim the lead to seven, 12-5, following a layup by Munn before a 9-4 run by the Tornados made for a 21-9 lead.

SECOND QUARTER
The combination of four points from Munn and a 3-pointer by teammate Cree Bass helped Salem trim the Brevard lead to 33-23 less than two minutes into the frame. The Tornados streaked back in front, capitalizing on a 9-3 run, to forge in front 42-26. A series of field goals from the trio of Munn, Echendu and Sampson trimmed the lead back to 10, 44-34. Munn added a jump shot, while Echendu drove home two free throws and Sampson came through with a layup of her own to slice the Brevard lead to 46-41.

THIRD QUARTER
With a 50-43 lead at the intermission, Brevard had an 11-6 run that put the margin at 12 for the Tornados with a Miller layup. Six points each from Munn and Minnie Griffin kept Salem within striking distance as the Spirits trailed 76-64 entering the final quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER
Both teams scored 20 points in the frame, but Salem trimmed the margin to 82-72 with a free throw from Sampson. Echendu added two layups and Munn knifed through the lane to convert a layup that trimmed the Brevard lead to four, 82-78, but Brevard answered with a 10-2 run that stretched the margin back to 12. Salem pulled the game under double figures on just two occasions, but Brevard stretched the margin back to double figures inside the final minute.

SALEM NOTES
-Munn, led all scorers in the contest, logged 35 minutes and finished 11-of-17 from the floor and was successful on 3-of-4 at the free throw line
-Dionne Sampson, who tallied 17 points, has now topped double figures in six of seven games this season.
-Tamsi Echendu's 19-point game marks the fourth time in 2022-23 that she has scored double figures.
-Salem hit its most field goals (32) in a single game this season and topped the 40 percent field goal percentage in the same number of contests. The 49.2 percent performance marked the best in a single-game by the Spirits this season.