KNOXVILLE, TENN. - CIU women's basketball took the court for the first time in 2022 for an AAC road contest versus Johnson University (Tenn.) Thursday evening. The Rams entered the contest 5-7 overall in and 3-4 in the AAC. Coach Danielle Fleming's squad dominated the Royals en route to a 90-54 victory as they enter the heart of conference play. 

The Rams took command of the game early, taking a seven-point lead with 4:43 left in the first quarter. However, the Royals would stick around to only trail by three at the end of the period. CIU would begin to stretch the lead in the second quarter in large part to Jordin McQueen's 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the quarter. The Rams would hold a 15-point advantage over the Royals at the break.

The Rams would continue to stretch their lead in the third and fourth quarter, with their biggest advantage being 36 to end the game, 90-54. 

Several different players contributed for the Rams offensively against the Royals. Five CIU players finished in double-figures in Thursday's contest. Jordin McQueen led the Rams with 18 points and three steals. Three players would notch 13 points for the Rams, including Zion Neat, who recorded a career-high 14 rebounds, while both Madison Hatcher and Madison Ferrara had 13 points. 

The Rams bench provided a spark for the Rams, outscoring the Royals bench 45-15. The Rams were also able to force 23 turnovers and only gave the ball up themselves 11 times. 

What Coach Danielle Fleming is saying: 
"Good team win today. Proud of the teamwork that our players showed. 21 assists and forced 23 turnovers. We'll celebrate this one and get back to work for Saturday!"

Up Next: 
CIU travels to Dayton, Tennessee, to take on the No. 20 ranked Bryan Lions on Saturday, Jan. 8 at 2 PM.