Flamini,Quakers’ women’s basketball secure ODAC

Junior guar Alli Jackson shoots a three-pointer against William Peace University.//Photo By Andrew Walker/The Guilfordian

The Guilford women’s basketball team started the season with only winning two of their first five games, but since then have gone 17-3. The team clinched the Old Dominion Athletic Conference regular-season championship and secured the first seed for the ODAC Tournament. The Quakers lead the ODAC with a 15-2 conference record, a game above Emory & Henry College. Guilford has won some important games this season over Emory & Henry, Randolph-Macon College and Washington & Lee University, who sit at second, third and fourth, respectively.

On Monday night, Guilford beat non-conference opponent William Peace University 78-37. The Quakers won its eighth straight contest as the bench poured in 45 points. First-year guard Calyn Davis went three-for-three from beyond the arc and led all scorers with 12 points. Sophomore center Julie Carini, junior guard Alli Jackson and junior center Rachel Lippert added 10 points apiece. Lippert picked up 10 rebounds for her first career double-double and set career-highs is scoring and rebounding. Sophomore forward Monnell Dunlap pulled down 11 rebounds and blocked two shots off the bench.

The Quakers have been led by junior forward Miracle Walters and first-year Lindsay Gauldin. Walters averages 14.5 points per game and shoots 56 percent from the field, third best in the ODAC. Gauldin has stepped into a big role in her first year. She averages 13.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. She has 11 double-doubles on the season, the eighth most in school season records. Gauldin leads the team and is third in the ODAC in steals per game with 2.5. Walters adds in 1.7 swipes per game.

Davis averages 10 points per game and leads the team with 49 three-pointers in the season.

The Quakers shoot 41.6 from the field and hold opponents to 35.2 percent shooting. In 2019 the team has a 12-1 record, with the only loss coming on to the University of Lynchburg on Jan.16.

Guilford ends the regular season on Feb. 16 at Randolph-Macon. The Quakers will begin ODAC Tournament play on Feb. 22 when they face the winner of the ninth-versus-eighth seed game.