Pippa Passes, KY: The Alice Lloyd College Lady Eagles got off to a beautiful start, only to watch the visiting Midway University Lady Eagles come back and overtake them in the final minute to win 96-93. The matchup took place Tuesday, January 19th.
In the opening period, ALC played inspiring ball. They would bag 5-6 long bombs and explode to a 31-16 lead after ten minutes of action.
In the second quarter, the visitors would warm up on the offensive end and chip into the deficit. They would produce 29 big points, but still, trail the Caney Creek club 53-45 at intermission.
As the third period began, MU would remain hot. Fortunately, a short run by the hometown Eagles was capped off by a nice bucket from sophomore guard Hannah Kash, which gave her team a 67-55 lead at the 5:35 mark.
Unfortunately, at that point, Midway took charge. Over the remainder of the stanza, they would close on a 20-7 blitz, and finally take the lead, 75-74, at periods end.
Thankfully, the hometown crew regrouped as the squads battled furiously. The Lady Eagles would rely on senior guard Haley Hall and Kash to keep within striking distance. When Kash drained a long bomb with .02 remaining, her squad trailed 94-93.
Unfortunately, MU would seal the deal with two charity tosses.
For Alice Lloyd (3-3), Hall and Kash led the way with monster games. Hall swished 9-13 field goals (3-5 3FG) and 5-6 free throws, for a game-high 26 points. She added 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals. Kash drained 9-14 field goals, including 6-10 from downtown, to finish with 24 points
Senior center Alexandria Clifton and senior forward Bailee Brainard each hit 5-6 field goals and chipped in with 11 and 10 points respectively. Brainard and freshman forward Madison Thompson tied Hall with 6 rebounds apiece, while Thompson added 2 blocks.
The Caney Club finished shooting 53.6% (37-69) from the field and an impressive 52.2% (12-23) from long range. They connected on 87.5% from the charity line, but only attempted 8, making 7. They also added 33 rebounds, 20 assists, and 9 steals.
MU (8-5) was paced by Jill Enix with 21 points. Her squad finished shooting 50% (30-60) from the field and 46.2% (6-13) from behind the arc. They overcame ALC’s blazing long-range shooting by finishing an impressive 83.3% (30-36) from the foul line. They also added 36 rebounds, 9 assists, and 16 big steals.
The Lady Eagles return to action on Saturday, January 23rd, when they travel to Oakland City University for a 1pm tipoff.