Lynchburg, Va. -- Olivia DeFrancesco (Greensboro, N.C.) played an entire 40 minutes Tuesday night in Turner Gymnasium, scoring a team-high 15 points to lead Lynchburg College's women's basketball team to a 61-49 non-conference win over Ferrum.

DeFrancesco, the Hornets' senior point guard, added five rebounds and three assists, Caroline Naumann (Mechanicsville, Va.) scored 14 points, and Brittany Afolabi-Brown (Montgomery Village, Md.) added eight points and 10 boards.

Lynchburg won the day on tremendous shooting; the Hornets were 22-for-48 from the floor (45.8 percent), 7-for-12 from 3-point range (58.3 percent), and 10-for-11 from the free throw line (90.9 percent). All three figures were season-bests.

Zarkia Mattox led the way for the Panthers, scoring 14 points, all in the first half.

THE RUNDOWN

Final: Lynchburg 61, Ferrum 49

Records: Lynchburg 4-1, Ferrum 1-3

Venue: Turner Gymnasium, Lynchburg College, Lynchburg, Va.

HOW IT HAPPENED

- Neither team led by more than four points until the final minute of the first half. Lynchburg put together a short 5-0 run -- a DeFrancesco 3 and two Afolabi-Brown free throws -- to lead by five. Mattox sank a jumper with 22 seconds before halftime to cut Lynchburg's lead back to three points, and the Hornets led at halftime, 28-25.

- Lynchburg led the entirety of the third period but couldn't pull away. After two fast-break layups by DeFrancesco gave LC a nine-point advantage, Ferrum's Jalexus Mitchell responded with a 3-pointer to cut the Hornet lead to six headed into the fourth.

- With the lead at four early in the fourth, the Hornets opened the gap on jumpers by Kortni Pinion (Stanfield, N.C.) and Naumann, and Molly Shephard (Charlottesville, Va.) sank a 3 with 6:22 to play that gave Lynchburg a 53-42 lead. DeFrancesco and Naumann helped solidify the win with late treys of their own.

LOOKING AHEAD

Lynchburg will stay home to commence Old Dominion Athletic Conference play Thursday night at 7 against Virginia Wesleyan University.

--LC--