BLUE MOUNTAIN, Miss. – The Lady Crusaders staged a determined comeback and fended off a late rally to secure a 65-62 victory over Blue Mountain Christian on Saturday afternoon.
 
"Glad we were able to battle through a very slow start and get the win," said Head Coach Jessica Garriga. "You have to credit Blue Mountain for being prepared and executing well. We had to dig deep and use all our depth to fight through this one. I'm proud of the players coming off the bench and impacting the game. It's been different players in each of these games this weekend that exciting."
 
Jenna Garriga and Madelyn Ladner started the game strong for Carey, scoring back-to-back baskets. However, Blue Mountain Christian University (BMCU) quickly responded, and the two teams exchanged shots throughout the first quarter. A late surge by the Toppers, who closed the quarter with a 10-2 run, gave them a 21-13 lead.
 
As the second quarter began, BMCU extended their lead to ten points. But the Lady Crusaders gradually found their rhythm. By the seven-minute mark, WCU had trimmed the deficit to five, and Addyson Sherer's layup with under five minutes remaining narrowed the gap to 26-22. In response, the Toppers rallied with an 11-5 run to push their advantage back to ten. Nevertheless, the Lady Crusaders went into halftime trailing 37-30, thanks to a timely three-pointer from Anna Rose Engle just before the buzzer.
 
BMCU started the third quarter by stretching their lead to ten once more, but, reminiscent of their prior game against UT-Southern, the Lady Crusaders mounted another comeback. Over the course of six minutes, Carey's offense chipped away at BMCU's advantage, and a jumper from Garriga brought the score to 41-40. Both teams exchanged baskets until a steal by Shaneal Corpuz led to a layup from Ladner, putting the Lady Crusaders ahead 44-43. The final moments of the quarter were fiercely contested, ending with the teams tied at 48.
 
In the fourth quarter, three different Carey players combined to ignite an 8-0 run, establishing a lead of 60-51 after a basket from Meyah Doyle with just under seven minutes remaining. Following a pair of free throws by BMCU, Kathryn Echols sparked a revival for the Toppers by sinking three consecutive three-pointers, putting Blue Mountain back in front 62-61 with three minutes left.
 
Brookly Cuevas hit a pair of free throws that reclaimed the lead for Carey, but the next few minutes saw missed opportunities for both teams. Ultimately, Ladner secured an offensive rebound and quickly converted it into a putback with 19 seconds remaining, extending the Lady Crusaders' lead to three points. The Carey defense tightened, forcing two missed three-point attempts from Blue Mountain in the final seconds to seal the victory.
 
Shaneal Corpuz led the Lady Crusaders with 16 points and seven rebounds. Addyson Sherer contributed 14 points, while Jenna Garriga added 10 points.
 
Carey will return to action on Saturday, December 13, to face Southeastern Baptist, with tip-off scheduled for 12:00 PM at Clinton Gym.