Mocs Cruise Past West Alabama In Season-Opener

Michaela Hawley, Taylor Maldonado and Megan Dzikas combined for 60 points as the Moccasins coasted to an 89-58 season-opening win over West Alabama Saturday at the Delta State Classic in Cleveland, Miss.

Hawley had a game-high 23 points, 17 in the first half. Maldonado tossed in a career-high 20 and Dzikas connnected for 17, including five three-pointers. Danielle Walsh added a career-high nine points.
 
The Moccasins took control early, breaking a 4-4 tie with five straight points by Hawley. Their lead at halftime was 42-28. Just prior to the midway point in the second half, the Moccasins put the game out of reach with a 10-0 run on a pair of three-pointers by Dzikas and baskets by Hawley and Tracy Fosterling that took the lead from 52-40 to 62-40.
 
Hawley was 8-13 from the field and 7-7 from the free throw line. Her 23 points moved her into the 10th place on the FSC career scoring list with 1,205 points and her six rebounds put her in 19th place on the career rebounding list with 522.
 
Winning their season-opener for the fifth time in six years under coach Jarrod Olson, the Moccasins shot 49 percent from the field (31-63), 50 percent from three-point range (11-22) and were 16 of 20 from the free throw line.  Led by Fosterling's 10 rebounds, the Moccasins enjoyed a 47-26 advantage on the boards.
 
Sunday at 3 p.m. (ET) the Moccasins take on fifth-ranked Delta State, which won its season-opener 70-48 over Southern Arkansas Saturday.