Emilie Harrell
MIDWAY, KY: The Alice Lloyd College Lady Eagles traveled to Midway, Ky. to face the home-standing Midway University Lady Eagles on January 30 in an important River States Conference West Division showdown. The visitors overcame a one-point deficit at the half to blow away the hosts, 72-54.
In the first period, Alice Lloyd got two quick buckets from junior center Emilie Harrell to jump up 6-0 at the 7:10 mark. Surprisingly, ALC would not score again until junior guard Courtney Vasquez drained a bomb one second before the buzzer sounded. At that point, they trailed 14-9 and were just 3-17 from the floor.
In the second quarter, Midway jumped out full of confidence and extended their lead to 26-16 at the 7:26 mark. From that point, the visiting Eagles would settle down and work their way back into contention. When senior guard Miranda Wilson sank an 18-foot jumper with 9 ticks remaining, the deficit had shrunk to one (30-29) at intermission.
The third period saw a reinvigorated ALC squad elevate their shooting and connect on 9-14 attempts. This improvement, coupled with solid defense, enabled Alice Lloyd to gain a 25-15 period advantage and propelled them to a 54-45 lead entering the final stanza.
In the last quarter, the visitors left no doubt as to why they are the top seed in their division. They clamped down on the defensive end and started the period on a solid run. Senior guard Kayla Wilson bagged two consecutive three-point baskets to cap an 11-2 run. With 6:15 remaining to play, the score was suddenly 65-47 and, for all intents and purposes, the game was over.
For the victors from Caney Creek (16-4; 10-3 RSC), Harrell led all scorers with 16 points. The freshmen duo of guard Haley Hall and center Alexandria Clifton was right behind with 13 points apiece. Kayla Wilson added 9 points while Miranda Wilson and sophomore Jayla Spurlock each chipped in 7 points. Hall led in rebounds with 8 while Miranda Wilson led with 10 assists and 4 steals.
Despite the chilly opening quarter, the visitors shot 42.6% (26-61) from the floor and 47.6% (10-21) from downtown. They sank 76.9% (10-13) from the foul line and added 40 rebounds, 17 assists, and 4 steals.
Midway (11-12; 5-8 RSC) was led on the night by guard Aryan Dochentz with 12 points. Her squad shot 31% (22-71) from the field and 27.8% (5-18) from deep. They finished at 83.3% (5-6) from the charity stripe. They added 47 rebounds, 13 assists, and 3 steals.
ALC returns home on Thursday, February 1, for an important conference showdown with Asbury University. Tipoff is set for 5:30 pm.