Box Score If an entrance is to be made, it might as well be a big one.
Madison Maples made sure of that on Saturday afternoon, as the freshman guard posted 29 points in her Orange and Garnet debut to lead Maryville to a 60-49 win over LaGrange College.
"Welcome aboard, Madison Maples," Maryville Head Coach Darrin Travillian said. "It was a great game for her. I know her first-half numbers were crazy, and she had a few buckets the second half, too."
Maples – a 5-foot-7 transfer from the University of North Georgia – posted an incredible first half. The guard tallied 21 of Maryville's 33 first-half points, while knocking down five 3-pointers.
Maples shot 8-of-9 from the floor in the first half, while dropping in a 5-of-6 effort from behind the arc. During the second period, she posted 10 of the Scots' 14 points, outscoring the entire LaGrange squad in the quarter. She would lead Maryville to a 33-23 halftime advantage, and an eventual 60-49 victory.
However, Travillian said his No. 16 Scots still have work to do.
"It was kind of a blue-collar effort today," Travillian said of the team having to work together. "We had a lot of mental breakdowns. We were telling them we were in one defense and they were in something different. Stuff like that will get you beat. If it's a two-possession game, you're going to get beat. We've got to be better than that."
Maples led the way for Maryville (9-2, 3-0 USA South) in the USA South victory with her 29 points, as she chipped in four steals, two assists and an offensive rebound in 29 minutes of action. She also sank six of the Scots' seven treys, while shooting 60 percent from beyond the arc.
Allyson Freiermuth had a big second half, posting 12 points, six rebounds and two steals, while Jordan Ballard added nine points, five steals, four assists and three rebounds.
Rachel Hawn had six points, while Mackenzie Puckett had two points to go with a game-leading nine rebounds. She also had five assists, four blocks and a steal to her credit, while Chelsey Harness had two points for MC.
The Scots shot 40.4 percent (21-of-52) from the floor, while having 18 assists on 21 made buckets. The bench had 37 of Maryville's 60 points, as 15 points came off 19 LaGrange turnovers.
For the Panthers (7-4, 1-1), it was Madison Barker that led the team with eight points and six rebounds. In all, 12 of LaGrange's 13 players tallied points.
Marilauren Farr had seven points, while Kelsey Mitchell, Hannah Landers and Danielle Newton each added six points.
Maryville will have a two-week road swing that includes USA South foes N.C. Wesleyan College (Jan. 15, 5:30 p.m.), William Peace University (Jan. 16, 4:00 p.m.), Meredith College (Jan. 22, 6:30 p.m.) and Mary Baldwin College (Jan. 23, 3:30 p.m.), before they return home to face non-conference Salem College on Jan. 26. Tipoff for that matchup is slated for 7:30 p.m.
