21st-Ranked Lady Bearcats Trample Lady Buffs In Style

HOLLY SPRINGS, Miss. – The Rust College women's basketball program got to show off some hardware during the season opener while laying a beatdown on top of it, corralling ABC in a 28-point rout, 68-40.

Head Coach Eric Jackson Jr.'s trademark defense is back in mid-season form, limiting the Lady Buffaloes to just a 25.8% field goal percentage and just one made three-pointer (6.7%) while owning a plus-four in the turnover margin (18-22) and dominating the glass with a plus-15 rebounding margin (56-41).

2021-22 All-GCAC First Teamer Katie Blackmon, who averaged a double-double of 10.7 points and 10.4 rebounds per game last season, has picked up where she left off, beginning the campaign with another double-double as she went for a game-high 15 boards and 13 points plus a 60% shooting effort while appearing on the court for only 20 minutes.

Fellow returner Niya McGuire had a nice night off the bench, logging 11 points on a 5-for-8 (62.5%) evening, falling a rebound shy of a double-double herself while picking up one of the club's three blocks.

A duo of community college transfers provided an immediate impact on day one as Ahmari Young (Miami Dade College) tied with Blackmon for the game's most points (13), was responsible for three of the team's four triples, brought down two boards and snatched a steal to go along with Taniyah Bowers' (Santa Fe College) ten points and game-best four assists.

Rust will travel to Bluff City for an exhibition matchup with Memphis before returning home for the Dr. Ishmell Edwards Founder's Day Classic against Stillman on November 11.

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