WESTERVILLE, Ohio - Albion College Head Coach Doreen Carden didn't have to worry about how her team would come out of the week-long Christmas break.
Oreyana Curry's slashing drives to the basket boosted Albion to a first quarter lead, and the Britons shot a season-best 52 percent from the field in pulling away for a 90-58 victory over Waynesburg (Pa.) University on the opening day of the Smokey Ballenger Classic.
Curry scored five as Albion held a 17-14 lead after the first quarter. She tacked on four more as Albion ripped off an 8-0 run to extend the margin to 25-16 two minutes into the second.
"It's nice to have Oreyana because she will make something happen anytime we need a basket," Carden said.
Evelyn Wischmeyer, Tierra Orban and Paige Ruesch scored during a 7-0 spurt as Albion built a 13-point lead and it settled for a 39-28 advantage at halftime.
Albion shot 60 percent in the second half as it outscored Waynesburg 51-30. Curry produced her fifth 20-point game of the season, but she received plenty of support.
Wischmeyer achieved a career-high 18 points and finished a rebound shy of a double-double. Emily Zgoda hit a pair of 3-point baskets to finish in double figures for the second time this season with 13. Olivia Savage and Emily Bernas added 11 and 10, respectively.
Overlooked in the scoring was the work Wischmeyer, Bernas and Jami Hubbard did in containing Waynesburg forward Haley Delaney. The 6' 1" senior forward, who was recently honored on the D3hoops.com Team of the Week after securing a double-double of 25 points and 10 rebounds in a victory over the University of Pittsburgh Greensburg, was held to eight points.
"We had a good game plan for Haley," Carden said. "She was the best post player we've seen so far this year.
"We expected Evelyn and Emily to contribute as first-year players, but they have gone way over and beyond," she added. "They come from winning prep programs and they have helped us get to 7-3 on the year."
Next up for Albion is a 1 o'clock Friday game against Earlham (Ind.) College in Westerville, Ohio.
