COLUMBIA, S.C. – Keondra Archie scored a season-high 23 points and the 24^th-ranked Lady Tigers sank a season-high 12 3-pointers to take an 84-65 victory over Fort Valley State University in their home opener on Sunday afternoon in the Benjamin E. Mays HRC Arena.

Wykira Johnson-Kelly added 18 points, while Ayanna Armstead added 13 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. Johnson-Kelly, Armstead and Jasmine Gholson all made three 3-pointers as the Lady Tigers were 12-of-29 from beyond the arc.

Benedict improves to 7-0 on the season. Fort Valley State falls to 2-3. Jah'ne Brown and Torri Myers scored 15 points each to lead the Lady Wildcats.

Jazmin Grayson hit a 3-pointer two minutes into the game to give Benedict a 5-3 lead and the Lady Tigers never trailed again. Benedict built as much as a nine-point lead (20-11) in the first quarter. After the Lady Wildcats tied the game at 21-21 in the second quarter, the Lady Tigers went on a 15-2 run to build a 38-23 lead with 3:28 left in the first half. Benedict had a 43-27 lead at the half. The Lady Tigers built as much as a 24-point lead in the third quarter and Fort Valley State never got closer than 15 points in the fourth quarter.

The Lady Tigers shot a season-high 53.3 percent (32-of-60) and out-rebounded the Lady Wildcats 43-30.

Benedict is back in action with a pair of home games against 9-0 Tuskegee University in a rematch of last year's SIAC Championship game. The two teams will play four consecutive games against each other, with Wednesday's and Thursday's games starting at 6 p.m. at Benedict. The series then moves to Tuskegee for a pair of afternoon games on Saturday and Sunday.