Women’s Basketball surges past Huston-Tillotson

The Wiley College women’s basketball team took control in the second half to overcome a first half deficit in a 75-62 victory over Huston-Tillotson University Tuesday at Alumni Gymnasium.

With the victory, the Lady Wildcats surpass last season’s win total of five and improve to 3-0 at home. It’s also their third win against a school from their former conference – the Red River Athletic Conference.

Wiley College (6-2) shot 29.2 percent in the first half and trailed by as many as 12. Tamia Dolls hit a 3-pointer. Kayja Jackson was fouled on a shot by Irish Winn, who got called for a technical for her reaction to the call. Jackson hit all four free throws. Diamond Hawthorne made a layup in the closing seconds of the second quarter to trim the margin to four.

The Lady Wildcats opened the third quarter with a nine-point run to take a five-point advantage. Minnie Miller made two shots, including a 3-pointer, which gave Wiley College their first lead since the first quarter. It had its highest scoring quarter of the season with 28 points. Alaeh Pressley hit a shot at the buzzer to give the Lady Wildcats’ a nine-point lead entering the fourth quarter.

A second-chance bucket by Hawthorne and a layup by Pressley pushed Wiley College’s lead to 13 points. The Lady Rams didn’t get closer than eight points. A 3-pointer by Kaitlyn Davis pushed the advantage back to 11 with 2:25 left in the game. Wiley College shot 54 percent in the second half and outshot the Lady Rams 44.1 to 35.8 percent for the game.

Hawthorne posted a career-high 26 points and 13 rebounds for her first double-double of the season and fourth in her career. She also added three steals, an assist and a block. Jackson followed with 13 points and two rebounds off the bench. Pressley also finished in double-figures with 10 points and four rebounds.

The Lady Wildcats will return to action on November 29 when they rematch with Centenary College of Louisiana at Alumni Gymnasium. They beat the Ladies 84-75 in Shreveport on November 17.