Shayla Bennett poured in 36 points to lead Christ Church (SC) to a 76-65 opening round victory over Floyd (VA) County in the 2014 CresCom Bank Holiday Invitational.
After trailing 37-29 at halftime, Christ Church (6-0; Greenville, SC) outscored Floyd County (5-1) 47-28 in the second 16-minute period. The Cavaliers chipped away at the lead and finally overtook Floyd County on a free throw by Paula Pieper that gave Christ Church a 55-54 lead with 6:36 to play. That free throw came as part of a 8-0 run that opened a 62-54 cushion with 4:57 on the clock.
Floyd County refused to go away quietly and closed the gap to one posession at 62-59 with 3:09 remaining in regulation before a final push by the Cavaliers sealed the victory. Christ Church pushed the lead back to double digits with a 10-3 run and connected on 10-of-10 from the free throw line in the final minute for the win.
Bennett added 10 rebounds, nine assists and five steals to her 36 points for Christ Church. The loss for Floyd County overshadowed an outstanding performance by Hannah Belshan as she tallied 27 points. Belshan connected on 7-of-10 from behind the three-point arc, finishing just one trey behind the tournament record of eight set by former University of North Carolina All-American Ivory Latta.
