ELKINS, WV - The Lady Tigers (3-15) hit the road tonight to take on the Senators (2-14) of Davis & Elkins College for their second matchup against the Senators this season. Earlier in the year Salem suffered a 62-61 loss to Davis & Elkins on the Tigers home court. 

The Tigers started hot with two three-pointers from Carine Pinkney and Emerson Wells to get their first six points on the board in the game's first two minutes. From there the Tigers offense didn't look back, getting buckets at the rim and from behind the arc the whole quarter. Defensively the Tigers were suffocating the Senators allowing just eight points in the opening ten minutes of play. At the first break, Salem held a commanding 21-8 lead.

Salem's offensive production tapered off some after their hot start, but they did enough to maintain the cushy lead they had already developed. Salem started the quarter 0-5 from the field before Emerson Wells hit a three-pointer off an offensive rebound from Cassandra Smith. The Senators tried to cut into the lead before the half with a 5-0 run, but Salem responded in kind with a 6-0 run of their own. The Senators managed a few late baskets to cut the deficit down to ten at the half with a score of 32-22.

As the third quarter began the Tigers knew they had a great opportunity to steal a win in enemy territory and even their season series with the Senators. Salem's offense wasn't able to find that same consistency they had found in the first quarter, but what they were able to do was produce timely baskets to maintain their lead over the Senators. Davis & Elkins gave the Tigers all they could handle in the third quarter but Salem would not let their lead slip away. The Tigers remained hot from three with two more triples from Cassandra Smith and Anete Bluma.

In the fourth quarter, Elena Pericic took over for the Tigers. She scored 12 of her 29 points on the night in crunch time including three shots from long range to keep the Tigers on top. And when it wasn't Elena dropping it in from deep it was Emerson Wells as the two went 5/7 from deep in the final quarter of play. Salem tallied 22 points in the fourth quarter which was their highest-scoring period of the night to stay on top and defeat the Senators 69-58. Tonight's win brings the Tigers record to (4-15) on the season and snaps a seven-game losing streak.

The Tigers will look to build off this win on Saturday, February 3rd when they play host to the visiting Bobcats (5-11) of West Virginia Wesleyan College at 2:00 pm at T. Edward Davis Gymnasium in Salem, West Virginia.

SALEM STAT LEADERS

Points: Elena Pericic (29)

Assists: Liliani Krause, Carine Pinkney, Elena Pericic (3)

Rebounds: Elena Pericic (8)

Blocks: Cassandra Smith (1)