MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The William Carey Women's Basketball Team opened their 2024-25 season with hard fought 67-63 victory over Stillman College Friday afternoon.
 
The game got underway with Rose Warren scoring the first basket of the game. From there, both teams went back and forth with Stillman holding the largest lead at three on two separate occasions until they took a 13-9 lead to end the quarter.
 
Both teams struggled offensively to start the second quarter. There were only a combined fifteen points scored over an eight-minute span with Carey having ten of those to take a 19-18 lead. The Tigers however responded with a three-point basket from Danyjhia Williams to retake the lead, but Carey's Leah Sutton drained a two pointer to tie the game at twenty-one with a minute to play.
 
After missing their next shot attempts, Stillman retook the lead on a layup by Hannah Boykin-Williams but with less than twenty seconds left, Daydria Cuevas sent the game into the break tied with a beautiful turnaround jumper.
 
Shooting was remarkably better in the third, as both teams shot over fifty percent from the floor. Stillman opened the scoring in the third quarter followed by a three pointer by Rose and layup from Shaneal Corpuz to put WCU up 28-25. From there Carey maintained a slim lead with the largest being five at 34-29 until the Tigers battled back to tie it at 37. After both teams traded shots, a two pointer by Madelyn Ladner gave WCU the lead for good in the quarter at 41-40. Over the final minutes of the quarter, Carey scored six points with Jenna Garriga picking up four of those, helping WCU to a 47-45 lead heading into the final quarter.
 
Carey came out quickly in the fourth quarter, building their largest lead of the game at 58-53 with six minutes to go. However, Stillman scored the next seven points to retake the lead with just over two minutes to play. After a Garriga jumper tied the game at 60, Jaida Minter put the Tigers back in front with a three pointer from the corner.
 
Carey kept up the fight and on the ensuing drive, Addyson Sherer drove under the goal and quickly fired the ball into the corner for a wide-open Leah Sutton who wasted no time in draining the three-point basket to tie the game once again. The Carey defense picked up the pressure on Stillman's next possession, forcing a last second three-point attempt that missed its mark.
 
Sutton pulled down the rebound and was immediately fouled sending her to the free throw line. She would convert both free throw attempts to give the Lady Crusaders the lead yet again, but Stillman answered with a layup to tie the game at 65 with forty seconds left. On Carey's next possession, Warren dribbled around to the right side and found Corpuz under the goal for the go-ahead basket. After advancing the ball to their end of the court with less than twenty seconds left, a combination of great defense by Sutton and Warren forced a turnover to seal the victory.
 
Leah Sutton led the offense with 19 points with Shaneal Corpuz adding 16 points and nine rebounds. Jenna Garriga finished with 14 points while Rose Warren had ten points.
 
Carey is back in action tomorrow, as they take on Rust College at 1:00 pm in Montgomery, Ala.