Four starters reached double figures for the Kentucky Wesleyan College women’s basketball team Friday night, propelling the No. 2 seed Panthers to an 82-61 win over No. 3 seed Cedarville University in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference tournament semifinal.
Wesleyan will face the host and No. 1 seed Walsh University at 3 p.m. on Saturday for the G-MAC Championship. It marks the first season since 2014-15 that Wesleyan has played for the conference tournament title.
Kaylee Clifford led the Panthers to a hot start, scoring 9 points in less than three minutes. The Panthers established a 14-0 lead, holding the Yellow Jackets scoreless for nearly four minutes of play.
The Panthers put 28 points on the board in the first quarter, rolling to a 52-28 halftime lead. Clifford posted 18 points in the first half alone, shooting 5-for-6 including a trio of 3-pointers.
Cedarville outscored the Panthers 20-19 in the third quarter, but the Panthers took a 23-point lead into the final frame. Wesleyan led by at least 19 points the entire second half, reaching a 29-point lead in the third.
Clifford finished with 23 points, falling two short of a career-high set at Hillsdale last week. The sophomore also led the team with 3 blocks.
Keelie Lamb scored 17 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and dished out 3 assists. Jenna Martin tallied 11 points, 3 steals and 3 assists. Lily Grimes added 12 points and 6 rebounds.
