LIVONIA, Mich. – After a cold start, the No. 2 Davenport women's basketball team used a 19-0 run to take the lead midway through the opening period and cruise to a 78-51 Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference win at No. 23 Madonna Saturday afternoon.
 
Brittany Johnson helped carry the momentum for the Panthers (22-0, 16-0 WHAC), coming up both a point and a rebound short from a double-double. She did notch four assists in 24 minutes of work. After putting six points on the board, Daina Grazulis added eight in the second period for 14 points, extending her streak of 15 consecutive games reaching double figures.
 
Kayleigh VanKeulen went 5-for-8 from the field including three 3-pointers to finish with 13 points and Alex Law scored 10 points to round out the Panthers in double figures.
 
The Panthers overall combined for 43.5 percent from the field and 10-for-25 from beyond the arc. They also dominated Madonna (14-8, 13-3 WHAC) on the boards 54-27, especially on the offensive side 20-3.
 
Crusader veterans Rachel Melcher and Michele Hayes led the effort for their ballclub, scoring 17 and 16 points, respectively. Madonna, altogether, shot 33.9 percent around the perimeter and went 4-for-15 from 3-point land.
 
Madonna took advantage of Davenport's slow start to the game by taking a 9-3 lead within the first 3:40. The Panthers did find the momentum and produced a 19-0 run in six minutes to build a 25-13 lead with 5:12 left in the period.
 
The Panthers went into the locker room leading 36-21 with Brittany Johnson leading the pack with six points. After shooting 11 percent from the field during that slow start to the half, DU did bring the percentage up to 38.9 at the half.
 
Davenport returns to the friendly confines of the DU Student Center Wednesday to host Lawrence Tech. Tipoff is slated for 5:30 p.m.
 
Post-Game Notes
Davenport improves to 23-6 in the all-time series with Madonna, having won 17 of the last 19 contests
 
Women's Basketball Contact: Rick Hoskin | 616-871-6180 | rhoskin@davenport.edu
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