HICKORY, N.C. — The 11th-ranked Catawba Valley Community College women's basketball team celebrated "Sophomore Night" in style on Thursday afternoon, defeating Louisburg 82-61 at the Tarlton Complex.

Sophomore forward Sherry Johnson led the charge for Catawba Valley (22-3, 16-1 in Region X), recording her 17th career double double of the season with 30 points and 10 rebounds.

It was the third time this season that Johnson scored 30 or more points in a game.

Fellow sophomore Zharia Brown also recorded a double double with 10 points and 10 rebounds for Catawba Valley, and freshman Aniya Taylor also reached double figures in scoring with 11 points.

The Red Hawks battled through a number of issues during the first quarter, including Johnson picking up two quick fouls and also the loss of freshman forward Ivy Eller to a severe ankle injury.

Despite that early-game adversity, CVCC gained a 37-32 advantage against Louisburg at halftime.

After an extremely competitive third quarter that left CVCC still leading by only eight points, the Red Hawks erupted offensively in the fourth quarter, outscoring Louisburg 30-17 during the final stanza.

Johnson led the way in the second half by scoring 24 of her game-high 30 points, and that fourth-quarter push allowed Catawba Valley to claim its 16th conference win of the 2018-19 season.

Markela Avent paced Louisburg (18-8, 10-8) with 18 points in Thursday's game, while teammates Caleah Smith and Harmony Davidson each scored 12 points apiece.

With the home side of its schedule complete, the CVCC women's basketball team closes out its regular-season schedule with three-straight road conference games, including back-to-back road contests this weekend.

The Red Hawks are in Wilmington, N.C. on Saturday to take on Cape Fear before playing Brunswick on Sunday in Bolivia N.C. Tip off for both games is set for 2 p.m.