Marietta, Ga. – The William Carey women's basketball team came up just short on Thursday afternoon, falling 53–52 in a back-and-forth battle at Life University.
Life jumped out to an early 8–2 lead behind three-pointers from Khloe Vaughn and Aniyah Offutt, but Carey quickly settled in. Four straight points from
Shaneal Corpuz and a pair of free throws from
Meyah Doyle pulled the Lady Crusaders even at 10–10 midway through the first quarter. The Running Eagles regained momentum over the final minutes, however, and took a 20–16 lead into the second quarter.
After
Leah Sutton opened the scoring for Carey in the second, Life responded with four unanswered points and eventually stretched the margin to 30–22 with under four minutes remaining. Strong defensive play helped Carey limit further damage, and a late layup by
Alyssa Hillard trimmed the deficit to 30–24 at halftime.
he Lady Crusaders started the third quarter with energy, as
Brooklyn Cuevas knocked down a three and Corpuz added a layup to make it 30–29. But once again Life countered, piecing together a 6–0 run to build a seven-point cushion.
Carey kept chipping away, and with under three minutes left
Bailey Devall came up with a steal and finished the layup to pull the Crusaders within 37–36. Life answered yet again and held a 43–38 lead heading into the fourth.
Trailing by five to start the final frame, Carey leaned on Corpuz, who scored inside and later added two free throws to keep the game within one possession. Life responded with four straight points to go up 49–42, but Carey refused to fade.
Corpuz jump-started an 8–0 run at the five-minute mark, and
Addyson Sherer capped it with a jumper to give the Lady Crusaders their first lead since the opening minute, 52–51.
Life had the final answer. Kenya Robinson's layup with 2:29 remaining proved to be the game-winner. Carey had multiple chances down the stretch—including two offensive rebounds and put-back attempts from
Madelyn Ladner in the final 11 seconds. After forcing a turnover with three seconds left, the Lady Crusaders got one last look, but Sherer's buzzer-beating three-point attempt missed its mark.
William Carey returns home on Thursday, February 5, to host Thomas University. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. at Clinton Gym.
