SE Tennessee News

The women's basketball team went on the road in search of a win on Saturday. TWU found the win in the form of a 77-63 score over the St. Andrews University Lady Knights in an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) game.

Yeika Jimenez Diaz and Alexis Bates put the game in a 4-4 tie and Anna Crowder gave the team their first lead, a 6-4 score. The score became slightly lopsided as St. Andrews scored nine straight points to take a 13-6 lead. The opponents did not score another point in the first quarter and the offense scored 11 unanswered points to lead 17-13 at the end of the quarter to take control. Cambree Mayo recorded back-to-back three-point plays while Bates (layup) and Crowder (three-pointer) helped the team hold the four-point lead.

After a basket by the opponents opened the second quarter, the Lady Bulldogs went on another run. This time, the scoring rally was 15 straight points, and the combination of Jimenez Diaz, Bates, and Mayo helped the team take a 32-15 lead after the scoring rally. A three-point play by Mayo kept TWU with a comfortable margin as the score read 35-20 with 2:55 remaining, but the offense only scored two points in the remaining time, a free throw each from Jimenez Diaz and Mikalee Martin, allowing St. Andrews to cut the lead down to eight points, making the halftime score 37-29.

Two different times at the beginning of the third quarter, the Lady Knights cut the lead down to six points. Points by Mayo and Bates helped the team stay ahead, and with the score 47-41 (the final time the opponents cut the lead down to six points) and 5:31 remaining in the quarter, the Lady Bulldogs went on a 19-5 run to give them a double-digit lead. Jimenez Diaz, Bates, Taylor Penning, Ella Crowder, and Mayo all scored to give the team a 66-46 lead at the end of the third quarter.

A free throw by Martin stopped a 6-0 run by St. Andrews and a three-point play by Mayo pushed the team to the 70-point mark. The offense went through cold spurts in the fourth quarter and with 2:12 left in the game, the opponents had cut the lead to seven points after scoring 11 straight points. A. Crowder scored on a layup and Jimenez Diaz closed the game with five straight points to put the threat to bed and give TWU the double-digit win.

Jimenez Diaz tied her career-high with 23 points, Mayo had a season-high 21 points and Bates had a career-high 16 points. Bates also led on the glass with a career-high eight rebounds. The team had 18 offensive rebounds in the game and forced 36 turnovers.

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