Rolla, Mo. - The Missouri S&T women's basketball team opened the 2018-19 season on an impressive note by shooting 52.4 percent and forcing Blackburn into 26 turnovers en route to a decisive 99-42 non-conference win over the Beavers this Friday (Nov. 9) evening at S&T's Gibson Arena.

The Miners, who are now 1-0 on the season, were led in scoring by junior forward Maddie Raley's (Haubstadt, Ind./Gibson Southern) game-high 18 points.  Raley, who connected on eight-of-10 from the floor in 22 minutes of action, led four Miners in double-figure scoring.

Freshman guard Michaela Davis (Keokuk, Iowa/Keokuk) made her collegiate debut a noteworthy one with a 16-point, six-rebound, and four-steal performance while freshman center Alex Kerr (St. Louis, Mo./St. Joseph's Academy) pumped in 15 points.  Another freshman, guard Laura Rodriguez (Grand Canaria, Spain/Baloncesto Torrelodones) contributed 12 points as S&T's bench outscored the Beavers by a 53-14 margin.  Jenna Dudra was the lone Blackburn player to notch double-digit points with 12 as the contest represented an exhibition tilt for the NCAA Division III Beavers. 

Junior guard Jordan Kabetske (Republic, Mo./Republic) dished out a game-high six assists and added a game-best tying four steals to support the Miners at both ends of the court. 

Missouri S&T's defense was opportunistic as the Miners scored 37 points off of Blackburn's 26 turnovers and also dominated action in the paint by registering a 49-8 points advantage.  S&T, which outrebounded the Beavers 51-34, was led by junior center Mykala Baylor's (South Bend, Ind./Clay) game-high tying seven boards as six Miners compiled at least five caroms in the game.

The season-opening win by Missouri S&T represented its 17th straight as the Miners improved to 31-14 in season openers dating back to the 1974-75 campaign.  S&T also upped its home-opening record to 35-9 with the victory.

The 99 points scored by S&T represented the most since the 2008-09 season (Nov. 19) when the Miners hit the century mark with a 100-36 home decision over Blackburn in what was the first meeting between the two schools. 

After 1st Q - S&T 28, BC 6
S&T recorded the game's initial 10 points in the opening two minutes and increased its lead to double digits at 11 points (14-3) after Maddie Raley (Haubstadt, Ind./Gibson Southern)'s bucket on a layup.  The Miners proceeded to reel off 14 unanswered points in the next five-plus minutes to go up by 25 points at 28-3.   

After 2nd Q - S&T 47, BC 17
The Miners maintained their 20-point plus cushion throughout the second quarter though Blackburn was able to cut a 28-point deficit down to 21 points at 38-17 with three minutes to go before the half.  A 9-0 scoring run by the Miners to close out the quarter gave the host team a 30-point advantage at the break. 

After 3rd Q - S&T 73, BC 36
The third quarter saw S&T outscore the Beavers 26-19 as the Miners built up their lead to 38 points (59-21) at the 5:30 mark on a Maddie Raley (Haubstadt, Ind./Gibson Southern) layup.  S&T's largest lead of 40 points (65-25) would occur with 3:35 remaining in the quarter  on an Alex Kerr (St. Louis, Mo./St. Joseph's Academy) jumper.  The Miners managed to continue having at least a 36-point advantage the rest of the quarter.

FINAL SCORE: S&T 99, BC 42
The game's final 10 minutes featured a 26-point output by S&T as the Miners stretched their lead from 37 points (75-38) to 56 points (94-38) with 3:50 left to be played in the contest.  A layup by Michaela Davis (Keokuk, Iowa/Keokuk) at 2:37 bumped S&T's margin up to 58 points at 99-41, which represented its largest lead of the game.  

Up Next: The season-opening home stand for Missouri S&T continues this Monday, Nov. 12, as the Miners host Avila (Mo.) Eagles in a 7 p.m. (CT) non-league matchup at Gibson Arena.

Stay Tuned: Stay up to date with the Miners throughout the 2018-19 season by liking or following @minersports via Twitter and Facebook.