GREENSBORO (Interstat) — Meredith guard Molly Zuburg scored 30 points and the Avenging Angels used an early surge to defeat Mid-Atlantic Christian 81-32 in a non-divisional women’s NCAA Division III basketball game on Wednesday at Hanes Gym. Meredith, known as the Avenging Angels, improved to 1-0 and never trailed after Zuburg opened the scoring with a 3-pointer.

Meredith scored 81 points from 81 possessions and posted an offensive rating of 100.4. The Avenging Angels finished with 25 assists, 22 offensive rebounds and 17 turnovers. They scored 44 points in the paint and 35 points off turnovers, while Mid-Atlantic Christian scored 10 points in the paint and 11 points off turnovers. Attendance was 134. Meredith controlled the glass and shared the ball throughout, and Mid-Atlantic Christian could not keep pace after the opening minutes.

Meredith took control in the first quarter. Zuburg’s first 3-pointer came 27 seconds into the game. After Alyssa Trujillo and Lily McLean kept Mid-Atlantic Christian close early, Meredith pulled away with a burst of 3-point shooting and transition scoring. Zuburg made four 3-pointers in the period, and Emma Hadley repeatedly finished layups as the Avenging Angels built a 29-9 lead after the first quarter. Meredith stretched the margin to 46-16 by halftime, using a 10-0 run early in the second quarter that included a layup from Ella Holmes, a driving layup by Zuburg and two straight 3-pointers from Zuburg. Hadley added a layup to cap the run, and Jenna Moore hit a 3-pointer late in the half.

Meredith kept control in the third quarter. Leanna Nohs opened the second half with a layup, Zuburg followed with another 3-pointer and Moore added a jumper to push the lead to 53-16. Mid-Atlantic Christian got free throws from McLean and Trujillo and a three-point play from Angelina Bologna, but Meredith answered with Nohs’s pullup jumper and Trujillo’s late scoring for the visitors. Meredith carried a 56-26 lead into the fourth quarter. Meredith’s defense forced turnovers and turned them into transition chances, helping the Avenging Angels maintain a comfortable cushion.

The Avenging Angels put the game away in the fourth. Zuburg made a tip-in layup, Hadley scored consecutive layups and Zuburg hit another 3-pointer as Meredith opened the quarter with a 21-4 run. Holmes added two layups, Hadley scored again inside and Emilee Cook made a layup to make it 77-30. Emma Roche and Kaitlyn Lee closed the scoring for Meredith with layups in the final 1:11.

Zuburg finished with 30 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in 33 minutes. Hadley added 21 points, 12 rebounds and four assists in 29 minutes. Cook had two points, seven rebounds, five assists and a block in 32 minutes. Holmes scored eight points and grabbed three rebounds in 19 minutes, Moore had seven points, six rebounds and five assists in 32 minutes, Nohs added six points, three rebounds and three assists in 24 minutes, Roche had five points and five rebounds in 18 minutes, and Lee finished with two points and three rebounds in nine minutes.

Mid-Atlantic Christian was paced by Trujillo and McLean, who combined for a majority of the visitors’ scoring. Trujillo made jump shots and free throws throughout, while McLean scored on layups and free throws. The visitors could not match Meredith’s paint production or turnover margin. Meredith’s pressure defense limited the visitors’ clean looks and helped create the turnover disparity.

Meredith next hosts Apprentice before visiting Trinity Washington. The Avenging Angels also have upcoming home games against Warren Wilson and Bob Jones in Raleigh, N.C., plus Randolph, Greensboro and Southern Virginia. Their road schedule includes Mid-Atlantic Christian, Brevard and Averett.