COLUMBUS, Ga. --- Columbus State University defeated Tusculum University 103-47 in women's basketball Friday evening at the Lumpkin Center, part of the Southeast Region Crossover.
The 24th-ranked Cougars (1-0) received 16 points from Letiya Reeves and 14 from Aaliyah Ferrell while forcing the Pioneers (0-1) into 48 turnovers. Columbus State scored 57 points off the Tusculum turnovers and had a 33-11 advantage in fast-break points.
Abbi Douglas and Ema Nagyova had eight points apiece for the Pioneers, with six points and a game-high 14 rebounds from Dora Van Rijs. Josie Horner added eight rebounds for the Pioneers, who were even on the glass with the Cougars at 47 boards apiece.
The Cougars went out to a 10-0 lead after 3 1/2 minutes before the Pioneers got on the board on a layup by Maddison Neale. Columbus State would stretch its lead to 26-7 after one quarter and 54-19 at halftime.
Aisha Patel hit a pair of three-pointers and led the Pioneers with six points in the first half, with five points from Neale. Tusculum shot 31.6 percent (6-for-19) from the field in the first half, and were led on the glass with four rebounds apiece from Van Rijs and Horner.
Columbus State built its lead to 81-36 after three quarters, and eclipsed the century mark on a putback by Simone Lett with just under a minute to play.
Tusculum finished the game shooting 35.6 percent (16-for-45) from the field and 3-for-12 on three-pointers. Columbus State was at 40 percent (40-for-100) from the field but hit just 4-for-32 from three-point range and 19-for-29 (65.5 percent) at the foul line.
Nagyova had three assists to go along with her eight points in 18 minutes off the Tusculum bench, while Neale had seven points and five rebounds in her collegiate debut. Lett finished with 13 points and six rebounds in 13 minutes off the bench for Columbus State, while Nadea Smith had 10 points for the Cougars.
Tusculum will face Lees-McRae on the second day of the Region Crossover on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The Bobcats dropped their season opener to Catawba in the late game on Friday at the Lumpkin Center.
