The Basics
Score: Roberts Wesleyan 77-68 Bethesda (Calif.)
Record: Roberts Wesleyan 27-7 | Bethesda (Calif.) 14-13
Location: Manahan Orthopedic Capital Center – Winona Lake, Ind.


WINONA LAKE, Ind. –Leading from start to finish, two-seed Roberts Wesleyan women's basketball defeated seven-seed Bethesda (Calif.), 77-68, in the opening round of the NCCAA National Championships Wednesday morning.

Samantha Courtney led the Redhawks with a game-high 23 points as Ajia McIntyre chipped in 19 points.

How It Happened
Roberts Wesleyan came out strong, outscoring the Flames 22-10 in the first quarter. However, the lower seed got into a groove in the second quarter as they hit five of their 11 three-pointers to cut the lead to just three points going into halftime.

The Redhawks then used a 17-6 run in the third quarter to distance themselves, making it a 56-45 advantage.

In the fourth, Bethesda outscored the Redhawks 18-15, but were unable to muster enough offense as the higher-seed held on by going 5 of 6 from the line in the final 10 minutes of the game.

Key Stat
The Flames finished the game an astounding 11 of 48 from three-point range.

Inside the Numbers
- Courtney finished the game one rebound shy of a double-double as they notched 23 points and nine rebounds.
- McIntyre's 19 points was a career-high for the freshman who hasn't score more than eight points in a game this season.  Brooke Fields added 16 points after converting 12 of 15 free-throws.
- As a team, Roberts Wesleyan shot 43.5 percent from the field while holding the Flames to 23 of 90 from the field.
- This was the first meeting between the two programs.

"Courtney's" Impact
The senior forward was 10 of 18 from the field despite going just 3 of 7 at the line. She also notched two blocked shots, which brings her season total to 87.


Up Next
Roberts Wesleyan plays six-seed University of Northwestern (Minn.) at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday in the semifinals. The Eagles, an NCAA Division III program, is 23-6 on the year.