HATTIESBURG, Miss. –
Shaneal Corpuz achieved a milestone by reaching 1,000 career points as William Carey secured an 84-64 victory over Faulkner University.
The Lady Crusaders faced a challenging start, with Faulkner's defense applying pressure right from the get-go. The Lady Eagles forced seven turnovers while holding WCU to just one field goal in the first three minutes. However, William Carey's defense proved resilient, limiting Faulkner to only four points during that same span. By the four-minute mark, the Lady Eagles held a slim 11-9 advantage. The teams then exchanged baskets, concluding the first quarter tied at 16.
Beginning the second quarter, the Lady Crusaders turned up the heat defensively, allowing Faulkner just one point until the six-minute mark and not a single field goal until four minutes remained. During this stretch, the WCU offense pulled away, building a 31-17 lead before heading into halftime with a 37-29 advantage.
Faulkner kicked off the scoring in the third quarter, narrowing the gap to six points. However,
Addyson Sherer and Corpuz quickly responded with nine consecutive points, pushing WCU ahead 46-31 with under seven minutes to play. Just two minutes later, the Lady Crusaders extended their lead to 54-35, thanks to back-to-back three-pointers from
Brooklyn Cuevas and
Charlie Gamberine. They finished the third quarter with a 62-45 lead.
In the final ten minutes, William Carey dominated, expanding their lead to as much as 21 points en route to victory. A standout moment of the game occurred when Corpuz reached her 1,000th career point with a layup with six minutes remaining.
On reaching her milestone Corpuz said, "I am grateful for the journey with my teammates and coaches. The William Carey culture really is different, and I can't wait to keep this season going with this group."
Sherer led the offensive charge with a career-high 20 points, while Cuevas contributed 16 points. Corpuz finished with 15 points, and Gamberine, in her debut as a Lady Crusader, added 10 points to the tally.
William Carey will return to action on Saturday, January 10, facing Mobile at 12:00 PM at Clinton Gym.
