STERLING, Kan. – After their upset victory over No. 15 Friends University on Thursday night, the Sterling College Lady Warriors returned to the Gleason Center and dominated the University of Saint Mary Spires 78-54. Sterling shot 0.437 from the field while holding USM to just 0.328 shooting from the field.

Megan Patrick (6-0 SR Forward) was the leading scorer for the Lady Warriors, putting up her fourth double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Kelly Curtis (5-6 SR Guard) and Lori Dauer (5-11 FR Post) were the only other Lady Warriors in double figure scoring with 10 points. Curtis also had seven rebound, four assists, and two steals in the game.

Three Spires scored in double figures. Adelyn Ezeh led USM with 13 points, and both Jordan VanNess and Jasmine Johnson scored 11 points.

Sterling fell behind by four points just 2:00 into the game, but responded. A Patrick basket with 15:27 left in the first half gave SC its first lead of the game.

USM would battle back and retake the lead on a Johnson basket with 10:43 left in the half.

The teams would continue to trade the lead until Kayla Eilert (5-6 JR Guard) would give the Lady Warriors the lead for good with two free-throws with 8:24 left in the half.

SC would build the lead to 14 points on an Eilert basket with 0:59 left in the half and would go into halftime with a 40-26 lead.

Sterling would dominate the second half, controlling the game and tempo. Patrick hit a three-point basket with 5:58 remaining to give the Lady Warriors their largest lead of the game at 29 points.

Coach Lonnie Kruse would empty the Lady Warrior bench at 4:15 left in the game, giving everyone playing time.

When the final buzzer sounded, the Lady Warriors had won 78-54.

With the win, Sterling improves to 11-8, 6-4 in the KCAC and moves into third place in the conference. On Thursday, the Lady Warriors will be tested as they travel to KCAC leading No. 23 Southwestern College to take on the Lady Moundbuilders in Winfield at 6:00 pm.