THOMASVILLE, Ga. — William Carey used a dominant defensive effort, and timely scoring runs to pull away from Thomas University, earning a 69–52 road victory on Thursday evening.
Head Coach
Jessica Garriga said after the game, "I'm glad to get a tough road win tonight. It took us a while to get going in the first half, but we were a better version of us the second half. We were able to force 21 turnovers and even out the rebound margin. Addy and Shaneal played both sides of the ball really well tonight."
The Lady Crusaders opened the night with a jumper from
Shaneal Corpuz, but the Nighthawks responded with two quick baskets. From there,
Addyson Sherer took over—knocking down two three-pointers and adding a layup to give Carey a 10–4 lead midway through the first quarter. Thomas closed the gap to three late in the period, but Corpuz closed strong, scoring five points in the final minute to give WCU a 19–13 advantage after one.
The second quarter brought offensive challenges for Carey, as the Lady Crusaders managed just four points over the first seven minutes. However, their defense held firm, forcing seven turnovers during that stretch and limiting the Nighthawks to only cut the deficit to 23–22. Carey regained control late in the quarter, finishing on a 9–3 run fueled by steals from
Madelyn Ladner and Sherer—leading to a Ladner layup and another Sherer triple. Corpuz added a strong finish at the rim with :47 left, sending William Carey into halftime with a 32–26 lead.
The momentum fully shifted in the third quarter. Elicia Smith opened the half with a three, and moments later
Jenna Garriga finished a layup to push the WCU lead to 34–31. From there, Carey found its rhythm offensively. Sherer stayed hot from long range, drilling two more threes, while the Crusaders' mid-range game kept the pressure on Thomas. By the end of the third, WCU had stretched its advantage to 52–41.
William Carey closed the door in the fourth quarter with a decisive 14–6 run.
Meyah Doyle,
Alyssa Hillard, and
Bailey Devall provided key interior scoring, while Corpuz and Sherer continued to generate offense at all three levels. Devall's three-point play with :54 left and a Doyle layup with :21 remaining punctuated a complete team performance.
Sherer delivered another standout night, surpassing her previous career high of 21 points with a 23-point effort while tying her career best of five steals. Corpuz nearly matched her with 21 points and eight rebounds.
The Lady Crusaders return to action on Saturday, January 17, traveling to Tifton, Ga., to face Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in SSAC play. Tip-off is set for 11:00 a.m.
