LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Wiley College women’s basketball team struggled to hit shots and keep possession in a 99-64 loss to Philander Smith College Wednesday in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opener at Mims Gymnasium.
The loss snaps a four-game winning streak. It’s the first time since 2017 that the Lady Wildcats didn’t win their conference opener.
They were outshot 43.4 to 28.2 percent, hitting 20 of 71 shot attempts. Wiley College only hit one of its 13 three-point attempts. It gave up the ball 29 times with 21 coming off steals. The turnovers allowed Philander Smith to score 37 points.
The Lady Wildcats (9-3, 0-1 GCAC) only lead in the first minute of the game. The Lady Panthers, who are receiving votes in the third NAIA Top 25 poll, scored 14 unanswered points as Wiley College went nearly seven minutes without hitting a field goal. It trailed by 17 after the first quarter and the deficit grew from there.
Diamond Hawthorne and Kaitlyn Davis led the Lady Wildcats with 14 points. Hawthorne tallied nine rebounds and an assist. Davis added five rebounds, three steals and a block. Jay’lann Myles finished with 12 points, six rebounds, an assist and steal. Alaeh Pressley led the team with 11 rebounds. Minnie Miller recorded her fourth double-digit rebounding game with 10.
Wiley College finishes the first half of the season with their best record since 2016-17 when it went 9-2. It will return to action on January 13 when it opens its first GCAC pod in New Orleans against Oakwood University.
