WASHINGTON - A quick start by visiting Shenandoah University put the Gallaudet University women's basketball team in a position to battle from behind for the entire game. In the end, Gallaudet came up short and fell to the Hornets, 64-54, on Friday night in the Field House. This was the first match-up between these two programs.

Shenandoah (5-3) scored the game's first 13 points and led 19-4 with 2:37 left in the opening quarter. Gallaudet (3-5) scored six of the next eight points as it trailed 21-10 after the first 10 minutes of play. SU made 10 of 13 shots from the field (76.9 percent) in the first quarter. The Bison regrouped and outscored the Hornets by three, 13-10, in the second quarter as the visitors led 31-23 at the break. 

After intermission, Gallaudet cut the Shenandoah lead to six points, twice, early on in the third quarter before the Hornets got the lead back to double digits. SU went on a quick 6-0 run to take it's largest lead of the night when they led 49-33 and took a 51-35 advantage into the fourth quarter.

Gallaudet was outmanned as the Hornets rotated in eight players from their bench, double the amount the Bison were able to use, throughout the game. GU trailed by double figures for the bulk of the fourth before freshman guard Crystal Salit (Boyds, Md.) drained her third 3-pointer of the game with 34 seconds left to cut the Hornets' lead to seven, 61-54. Not to be outdone, the Hornets sank a 3-pointer in the waning seconds to finish with the 10-point victory.

Salit led all-scorers with a career-high 16 points as she made 6 of 10 shots from the field with three coming from long-range. Senior guard Emelia Beldon (Frederick, Md.) finished with 12 points, eight assists, three steals and two rebounds. Beldon was matched in point production by sophomore forward Cassidy Perry (Frederick, Md.), who recorded 12 points, eight rebounds, three blocks, three steals and two assists. 

The Hornets received 37 points from their bench, which included the top two scorers in senior forward Sarah Sondrol (14 points) and first-year center/forward Shawnise Campbell (10 points, six rebounds).

BISON TRACKS

• Sophomore forward Serenity Fry (East Los Angeles, Calif.) made a season-high 10 rebounds to tie her career best mark
• Freshman forward Hannah Puent (Indianapolis, Ind.) finished with six points, three assists, two rebounds and one steal
• The Bison shot a season best from the free-throw line (83.3 percent) and 3-point range (42.9 percent)
• Gallaudet scored 30 points in the paint
• Both teams had five blocks each

UP NEXT
The Bison will close out the month of December next week and host Randolph College (7-2) on Sunday, Dec. 19, at 1 p.m.