Columbia, S.C.—Tyler Powers scored a career high 15 points and Timisty Nelson added 15 of her own as the Crusaders powered past the Yellow Jackets of Allen University 79-58 for their first win of the 2012-2013 season.

Alisha Hope was also in double figures for NGU with 10 points. Jaquazha Barrino led the team with 9 rebounds to go along with 7 points. Nelson was also solid on defense registering 9 takeaways.

The Crusaders never trailed in Tuesday night’s contest and led by as many as 23 points. North Greenville grabbed complete control of the game midway through the first period, taking an 11-point, 21-10 lead with 10:26 left on the clock. The 11-point lead came on the heels of an 11-4 run which spanned just over five minutes. NGU would enjoy a 14-point advantage heading into the intermission.

“We’re happy to have our first win of the season,” remarked head coach Jayne Arledge after her teams victory. “Hopefully this will lead to some confidence and more wins. We’ve got to keep working not turning the ball over, but overall we were happy to pick up a win on the road.“ The Crusaders committed 25 turnovers on the night, but forced 36.

The Yellow Jackets opened up the second half with a run of their own, cutting NGU’s lead to just 7 with 15:19 left in the game. Ashleigh Edwards answered the Allen run with her only 3 points of the game, regaining a double-digit lead for the Crusaders. Edwards’ three sparked a 20-8 run which gave NGU a 21 point 65-44 lead. The Crusaders remained in control for the remainder of the contest as they cruised to the 21-point victory.

NGU’s final game of the 2012 portion of the season will be on December 13^th when they travel to Central, South Carolina to take on local rival Southern Wesleyan at 7pm.