SAINT MARY-OF-THE-WOODS, Ind. -- The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College women's basketball team was tied with visiting IU-Columbus on Wednesday evening (Jan. 8) at the half but turned up the defensive intensity after the break to race out to a 93-78 victory inside the Knoerle Center.

SMWC improved to 9-5 on the season and 2-1 in River States Conference play. SMWC will travel to in-state conference rival Oakland City on Saturday, January 11 for a 3 pm (CT) tipoff.

Madison Fueger led the way in this game for the Pomeroys with 18 points and nine rebounds to go with a pair of blocked shots and a steal. Brooklynn Jones added 14 points and nine rebounds. Abby Worley hit a pair of 3-pointers to score 10 points.

Tied at 36 at the half, the Pomeroys decided to extend their defense out to full court pressure, and it proved to be difference. IU-Columbus opened the third quarter with a trifecta by Iyre Gomez countered with a 3-pointer of her own to knot the score at 39. With 5:05 left in the stanza, Destiny Thomas connected on a 3-pointer to push the Pomeroys ahead 49-48. After a Gomez steal, Fueger converted a lay-up in transition to stretch the lead out to 51-48. 

Just as she did in the game against IU-Southeast on Saturday, Worley was wide open for a 3-pointer with just over two minutes on the clock to stake the Pomeroys to a 61-56 lead. The advantage grew to 63-57 at the end of the quarter when Aubrey Burgess hit a lay-up off a steal.

A conventional 3-point play from Fueger with just over eight minutes remaining in the game stretched the lead out to 68-57. The lead grew to over 20 points -- mostly by Diamond Bryant — and capped by Madison White for the 82-61 lead. 

Hope McGuire returned to the court to record a steal and conventional 3-point play late in the game en route to the 15-point victory.