HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The William Carey women's basketball team battled back to earn a 61-52 victory over Xavier University Thursday night at Clinton Gymnasium.
William Carey established an early advantage as
Brooklyn Cuevas connected from beyond the arc and
Leah Sutton added a layup to help the Lady Crusaders jump out to a 6-0 lead. Xavier gradually chipped away at the deficit, pulling within one at 8-7 with under five minutes remaining in the first quarter. Carey responded with baskets from
Bailey Devall and
Madi Marie Grayson to regain momentum, but a late scoring push by the Gold Nuggets trimmed the Lady Crusaders' lead to 14-11 heading into the second quarter.
Xavier opened the second quarter with renewed energy, quickly turning a three-point deficit into a 16-14 lead behind an Ananda Jenerson three-pointer. The teams traded baskets throughout the quarter, with Carey maintaining a narrow advantage. The Lady Crusaders closed the half on a strong note, as
Shaneal Corpuz and Sutton combined for seven consecutive points to extend Carey's lead to 30-22 at the break.
The Gold Nuggets continued to fight back coming out of halftime, eventually tying the contest at 35-35 with six minutes remaining in the third quarter. Devall answered with a three-pointer to put Carey back in front, but Xavier remained close. The Gold Nuggets then strung together seven consecutive points to take a 42-38 lead with three minutes left in the period. Defensive pressure from both teams dominated the closing minutes, as Xavier carried a 44-40 advantage into the fourth quarter.
Xavier extended its lead to eight points with four straight points to open the final period before Cuevas responded with a layup to halt the run. The Lady Crusaders steadily chipped away at the deficit, and with under five minutes remaining, Devall connected on a corner three-pointer to knot the game at 50-50.
Following a brief exchange of baskets, Hillard and Doyle combined for six consecutive points to give Carey a 55-51 advantage. Corpuz and Cuevas added back-to-back layups to strengthen the Lady Crusaders' lead, while Sutton converted a pair of free throws in the final seconds to secure the 61-52 victory.
William Carey returns to action Saturday, November 14, as the Lady Crusaders host Loyola University in SSAC play. Tip-off is scheduled for 12 p.m. at Clinton Gymnasium.
