Shreveport– The Centenary women's basketball team defeated the Southwestern University Pirates 59-50 on Friday evening in a Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference contest at the Gold Dome.
The Ladies (2-18, 2-9 SCAC) won for the first time since beating Austin College, 69-62, at home on Dec. 31 and earned a season series split with the Pirates (9-10, 6-5 SCAC). Centenary snapped the Pirates' two-game winning streak and the 50 points marks the fewest allowed by the Ladies in a game this season. The Maroon and White have held 10 of their 20 opponents to 70 points or less this season.
Centenary held a 22-21 lead at halftime after edging Southwestern 10-7 in the first quarter. The Pirates outscored the Ladies 14-12 in the second quarter. The Ladies finished with 19 points in the third quarter to the Pirates' 17 and then outscored the visitors 18-12 in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
The Ladies lived at the free throw line all night, finishing 29-36 for an impressive 80.6 % as they set single-game season highs for makes and attempts. They also finished just four free throws made shy of the single-game program record of 33 set at Texas Lutheran on Jan. 23, 2016. Centenary, though, struggled from the floor as the Maroon and White finished at just 25.5 % (14-55) and also struggled from 3-point range (2-16 for 12.5 %). Southwestern also struggled, finishing 20-60 for 33.3 % and was also 2-6 from beyond the arc for 12.5 %).
Freshman G Amiyah Barrow (Baton Rouge, La.) scored a game-high 20 points to lead all scorers and was one of two Ladies to reach double figures, joined by sophomore G Dymon Drumgo (Alexandria, La.) with 12. Barrow, who entered the game as the Ladies' leading scorer this season at 8.9 PPG, played 39 minutes and was 5-9 from the floor and 10-14 at the FT line. She grabbed five rebounds, dished out a pair of assists, and had two steals. Barrow has now reached double figures nine times this season with five coming in conference play. Drumgo came off the bench and played 27 minutes and was 6-8 at the FT line with four steals and two rebounds. She has now reached double figures eight times this season, with six coming in conference play.
Sophomore G Alana Jones (Shreveport, La.) added eight points in 39 minutes with four rebounds, four steals, and three assists. She was 3-4 at the FT line and hit one trey in three attempts. Freshman F Kyra Stokes (Shreveport, La.) also scored eight in 17 minutes before fouling out. She was 2-6 from the floor and a perfect 4-4 at the FT line with six rebounds and a blocked shot.
Freshman G Brailey Major (Opelousas, La.) added seven points on 2-5 shooting in 20 minutes. She was 1-4 from beyond the arc and 2-2 from the FT line with a rebound. Freshman G TaNyjah Plumber (Kinder, La.) scored four points in 35 minutes with four rebounds and was also 4-4 from the FT line.
Two Southwestern players scored in double figures – Aniyah Burke with 14 and AK Hodges added 11 off the bench. Burke was 6-16 from the floor and 2-2 from the FT line in 27 minutes with six boards and an assist. Hodges was 5-5 from the field and 1-2 at the FT line in 19 minutes with seven boards and a steal. Reece Sandercock added eight points and a team-high 10 rebounds in 22 minutes with three blocked shots and a pair of assists. Jay Hollie and Ellie Ward each scored five points and Hallie Mayfield, Emily Jasek, and Kaila Hamilton combined for seven points and 11 rebounds.
Barrow and Drumgo led the charge for the Ladies in the second half, combining for 23 points. Drumgo was especially hot in the fourth quarter, scoring three-consecutive baskets in a span of just under two minutes to extend a 47-41 Ladies' lead to 53-43 with 5:42 remaining, their first double-digit lead. She also made 3-4 FT's in the final minute to help secure the win.
The Ladies led by as many as nine in the first half, and were up 22-13 with 2:47 left before the break, but the Pirates finished on an 8-0 run capped by a buzzer-beating jumper by Burke to bring them within a point at halftime. Major drained a trey nine seconds into the second half and the Ladies maintained a lead for the first several minutes of the third quarter, but a Jasek 3-pointer at the 2:36 mark tied the game at 36-36.
The Ladies took good care of the ball, only turning it over eight times, just one more than their season-low of seven in their other win over Austin College. The Pirates, meanwhile, turned it over 25 times with the Ladies scoring 14 points off of TO's to just two scored by the Pirates. Southwestern finished with a 26-14 edge in points in the paint and edged the Ladies in second-chance points, 12-11. The Pirates finished with a 21-12 advantage in bench points.
Centenary finished with 34 rebounds, 11 assists, 10 steals, and three blocked shots while Southwestern grabbed 37 rebounds and tallied 12 assists, five steals, and two blocks.
The Ladies will next face the Texas Lutheran University Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon in their final home game of the season. Centenary will honor two seniors in a pregame ceremony - senior G Patience Bates (Houston, Texas) and senior F Jazzmyn Jones (Normangee, Texas). Tip-off is set for Noon but the senior ceremony will begin at approximately 11:45 a.m.
See the Ladies' complete season schedule here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/wbkb/2022-23/schedule
Admission is FREE to all Centenary home athletic contests. Live stats and live video stream are available for all Centenary home contests.
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