Women's Basketball drops Double Overtime Thriller against Talladega
TALLADEGA, Ala. - In a gripping Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference showdown on Friday, the Wiley University women's basketball team was narrowly defeated by the Talladega College Tornadoes, 59-56, in a hard-fought double overtime game at the Billy C. Hawkins Student Activity Center in the opener of its second HBCUAC Crossover.
The loss snaps a five-game winning streak for the Lady Wildcats, who fall to 2-4 in road games. It is the first time they've allowed a fourth quarter lead to slip away. They played without starting center Elizabeth Camacho for the fourth straight game and Tamia Dolls who scored 20-plus points in two of her last three games.
Wiley (6-8, 4-4 HBCUAC) started strong, thanks to Mary Leday who scored two critical 3-pointers in the first quarter, helping her team to a 15-8 advantage. The intensity increased when Mya Jones hit a jumper, pushing Wiley's lead to 10 points halfway through the second quarter. However, scoring stalled in the last five minutes of the quarter, allowing the Tornadoes to close the gap to 22-20 by halftime.
The third quarter saw early shifts in the lead, but Celebria Peacock's two shots near the end pushed Wiley ahead. The game took a dramatic turn in the fourth quarter with Wiley making only one of nine shots, leading to a tied game at 41, pushing the contest into overtime.
A steal by Peacock and a layup by Erin Love gave Wiley a 45-43 lead with 1:55 left, but the Tornadoes fiercely countered to extend the game to a second overtime. Despite a late rally with key 3-pointers from Leday and Zacryia Dozier cutting the lead down to one with just 13 seconds remaining, the Lady Wildcats were unable to secure the win.
Leday led the Lady Wildcats with 16 points and six steals. She also added four rebounds. Jones followed with 11 points, a team-high nine rebounds and two blocks. Peacock contributed 10 points and four assists.
The Lady Wildcats are looking to bounce back in their next game against Stillman College, which leads the HBCUAC in Tuscaloosa on Saturday. Despite the setback, the resilience and tenacity shown by Wiley University signal a promising outlook for upcoming games.
For more coverage on the Lady Wildcats visit https://wileyathletics.com/sports/wbkb/index
About Wiley University Athletics
Wiley University sponsors 12 varsity sports, women's volleyball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's indoor track and field, men's and women's outdoor track and field and baseball. It competes in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) and the Continental Athletic Conference for men's and women's soccer.
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