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OWENSBORO, Ky. – When you're a young team starting three freshmen you're looking for signs of improvement over the course of the season. Thursday's 80-64 victory for the Lewis women's basketball team at Kentucky Wesleyan was a clear sign of the Flyers' improvement since the start of the season.
 
When the two clubs met at Neil Carey Arena on Dec. 3 Kentucky Wesleyan's ball pressure flustered the Lewis offense. On Thursday in Owensboro the Flyers blitzed the Panthers early and never let Kentucky Wesleyan back in the game.
 
After seeing six Flyers score in double-digits against Bellarmine last Saturday; Thursday saw five Flyers score in double-figures. Freshmen Jess Reinhart (Normal, Ill./Bloomington Central Catholic) (Normal, Ill./Bloomington Central Catholic) and Jamie Johnson (South Holland, Ill./Marian Catholic) (South Holland, Ill./Marian Catholic) each finished with 13 points. Freshman Nikki Nellen (New Berlin, Wis./Pius XI) (New Berlin, Wis./Pius XI) added 12 points. Senior Madeline Kish (Oak Forest, Ill./Sandburg) (Oak Forest, Ill./Sandburg/Eastern Illinois) scored 10 points. Junior Labrenthia Murdock (Round Lake, Ill./Round Lake) (Round Lake, Ill./Round Lake) filled up the stat sheet with 10 points, nine rebounds, six assists and a steal.
 
Lewis grabbed a quick 17-9 advantage in the contest with a 9-0 run. Four different Flyers scored in the stretch. Kentucky Wesleyan cut Lewis' 12-point halftime lead to six points four minutes into the second half. However by the 10-minute mark of the second half Lewis had built a 17-point lead. Lewis would lead by as many as 23 before winning by a 16-point margin.
 
“Tonight was a great team win,” Lewis head coach Lisa Carlsen said. “We did a lot of good things on both ends of the court. I couldn't be prouder or happier for the team.”
 
The Flyers held a 36-26 edge in points in the paint and a 29-15 advantage in points off turnovers.
 
Kentucky Wesleyan falls to 13-9 (7-7 Great Lakes Valley Conference). Lewis improves to 6-16 (4-10 GLVC). Lewis is at Southern Indiana on Saturday.