HATTIESBURG, Miss. – William Carey couldn't withstand a late push from UT-Southern, falling 81–68 Thursday night at Clinton Gym.
UT-Southern struck first with a basket from Lauren Smith, but Carey quickly answered on a jumper by
Shaneal Corpuz to even the score at 2–2. The opening stretch set the tone for much of the night, featuring an up-tempo, back-and-forth exchange of baskets and free throws from both sides.
A three-pointer followed by a jumper from
Addyson Sherer gave the Lady Crusaders a 20–13 lead with three minutes remaining in the first quarter. However, UT-Southern closed the period strong, using two baskets from Ashley Dickey and a three by Smith to pull within 20–18 after one.
Corpuz opened the second quarter with a jumper to extend Carey's lead, but UTS tightened defensively and slowed the Crusaders' momentum. Both teams battled through fouls and turnovers, struggling to capitalize on second-chance looks.
A three from
Alyssa Hillard gave Carey a 27–22 edge, but the Firehawks responded with baskets from Silkiari Vazquez-Troche and a timely three from Ramie Reid to tie the game at 29–29. Sherer knocked down a key jumper late in the quarter, and
Jenna Garriga added two free throws to send Carey into halftime ahead 33–30.
Corpuz again opened the scoring in the third to push the lead to five, but the Firehawks rattled off six straight points to take a 36–35 advantage. Garriga and Corpuz answered with back-to-back baskets as the fast-paced trading of leads continued.
With the game tied at 41 midway through the quarter,
Charlie Gamberine came off the bench and buried a three while drawing a foul, converting the four-point play to put Carey up 45–41. But UT-Southern responded once more—Dickey scored five straight to flip the lead, and the Firehawks closed the quarter strong. Dickey hit a jumper at the buzzer to extend the Firehawks' advantage to 55–48 entering the fourth.
UT-Southern opened the final period with another bucket from Smith, but Sherer answered with a three to keep Carey close. From there, however, the Firehawks slowly pulled away, building a 67–55 lead by the midway point of the quarter. Carey was unable to regain momentum, and UTS controlled the final minutes to secure the 81–68 victory.
Sherer led the Lady Crusaders with 21 points, while Corpuz added 11.
Leah Sutton contributed 10 points and nine rebounds in an all-around effort.
William Carey returns to action Saturday, February 21, wrapping up the regular season at home against Blue Mountain Christian. Tip-off is set for 12:00 p.m. at Clinton Gym.
