by Gary Stepp
Serena Nickell
The Midway College Eagles closed the first half on an 8-0 run, and rode that momentum in the second half to earn a come from behind victory against Alice Lloyd, 92-82. The game was played at the Grady Nutt Athletic Center.
In the first half, the hosts trailed early, but a three point field goal from Carla Booth knotted the contest (11-11) at the 15:26 mark.
Over the next five minutes, ALC went on a 9-0 run, capped off by a bucket from Sara Robinson, to lead 20-11. Two Serena Nickell free throws ballooned the margin to fifteen (31-16) at 5:35, and the hosts still led by 13 (39-26) with 1:20 remaining.
Unfortunately, three consecutive home team turnovers allowed the visitors to close the half on a 8-0 run, and the entire complexion of the game was changed.
In the second half, sparked by 12 and 11 points respectively from guards Me’Lisa Martiniz and Jasmine Johnson, Midway came out of the gates on a roll and quickly regained the lead. The Eagles battled hard on their home court, but could not overcome MC’s 55.9% second half field goal percentage.
For ALC (6-10; 2-3 KIAC), Booth led all scorers with 28 points. She added 8 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 assists. Nickell pumped in 20 points on 8-10 field goals and added 8 rebounds of her own. Megan Jones came off the bench and tossed in a season high 19 points on 7-10 shooting.
For Midway (6-8; 2-0 KIAC), Johnson and Martinez led the way with 21 and 16 points apiece.
On the night, Alice Lloyd shot a solid 52% from the floor, but hurt themselves by connecting on just 18.8% from long range (3-16). On the other hand, MC shot 43% from the floor, but drained 7-18 bombs (38.9%). They also hit more free-throws (19-28) free throws compared to the hosts (11-15). Midway also won the battle of the boards, 41-31.
The Eagles return to action on Saturday as they travel to New Albany, Indiana to face the always tough Indiana-University Grenadiers. Tipoff is scheduled for 1pm.