HOLLINS, Va. - In a rematch of the Scotties' home opener, Hollins (4-0) and Agnes Scott (0-5) once again faced off, this time as part of the 2024 Empowerment Classic on the campus of Hollins. A couple of big runs by the home team was the difference on the evening, as Hollins remained perfect on the season with the 65-35 win.

In the first quarter, Agnes Scott opened up a 5-1 lead early in the quarter, behind two baskets from leading scorer, Laila Williams, including a 3-pointer. Hollins would answer with an 8-0 run to pull ahead, 9-5, before senior Lindsay Moore drained a three shortly before the end of the period to bring the Scotties to within a point.

In the second quarter, the game began to look out of hand as Hollins, off to their best start in the NCAA era dating back to the 1980s, were able to put together a 19-0 run to seemingly blow the game wide open, leading 30-10. The Scotties, however, showed resilience over the final 1:30 of the half, as they finished the half with an 11-0 run. The freshmen class of Agnes Scott took over as Anissa Brailsford drained a three from the left side to get the Scotties back on track, followed by a three from classmate Ryley Jolley. Proving her versatility, 5'10 forward Brailsford stepped back and drained another long ball on the following possession to bring the Scotties within 11. Freshman Alex McElroy would complete the 11-0 run to end the half for the Scotties, as she was fouled with 2.6 seconds on the clock and calmly drained both free throws, allowing the Scotties to go into halftime feeling confident, as they trailed by only 9. In the teams' first meeting, Hollins led at the half, 33-11.

The third quarter was Hollins from the start, as sharpshooter Missy Hazard drained two three pointers to open the half, as Hollins went on a 14-1 run to open the half and extend their lead to 22, opening a 44-22 lead. An unorthodox three-point play by the Scotties temporarily stopped the run, as Ryley Jolly made the first of two free throws before freshman Sarah Fedrick rebounded the second free throw and scored the putback. The quarter would end with Hollins in the lead, 50-27, after Sydney Evans grabbed an offensive rebound and scored a layup with time running out.

The 23-point hole proved too much for the Scotties to overcome, as Hollins continued to add to their lead in the final quarter, as the Scotties struggled to make baskets throughout. The Scotties finished the game shooting 10-for-57 for 17.5% from the field. They did, however, have a better day from beyond the arc, as they hit 6-for-18 for 33.3% shooting, accounting for more than half of their points.

Brailsford finished the game as the leading scorer on the evening for the Scotties, finishing with 7 points. Jolly and Williams each finished with 6, and Zania Gay and Moore each finished with 5, including a 3-pointer for each. Ivey Portis and Sydney Evans led on the boards with 7 apiece, and Alex McElroy led the Scotties with 3 assists. Sarah Morales and Hazard led Hollins with 12 apiece.

The Scotties continue play in the Empowerment Classic on Saturday, as they face off with former GSAC and USA South foe, Salem College, at 2:00 p.m.on the Hollins University campus.