SMC Women's Basketball All-Around Team Effort Leads Pioneers Past Thomas, 69-60

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Spartanburg Methodist College women's basketball team returned to its winning ways with a 69-60 win over Thomas University on Friday night. 

The Pioneers (3-7) end a five-game losing streak in the victory with four players in double figures. Najah Gilliam and Mia Hansen each scored 15 for SMC, plus Destiny Middleton and JaiDah Liebert each had 12 in the win. 

The Nighthawks (4-8) were paced by a double double from Destiny Hill, who had 19 points and 16 rebounds to lead Thomas University. She was joined in double figures by Jamia Brown, who had 13. The SMC defense held reigning SSAC Offensive Player of the Week Kennedy Collins to just four points on 2 of 9 shooting from the field.

SMC came out strong, jumping out to a 7-2 lead and shooting 42.9% from the field on its way to a 24-12 lead in the first 10 minutes on its way to the win. Thomas came back to make it a one-point game, 7-6 before SMC seized control of the game with 14 unanswered points and held the visitors to 26.3% shooting in the first 10 minutes. The Nighthawks would only get as close as five for the rest of the game as the Pioneers led the entire contest.

Next, SMC will close out 2024 with a trip to Carolina University in Winston Salem, N.C. for a 5 p.m. matchup on Monday night.