Women's Basketball seizes control in Fourth for First HBCUAC Win
WILBERFORCE, OHIO - Wiley University women's basketball player Jessica Nerestant recorded her third double-double and Emilee Proctor equaled her career scoring high to lead the Lady Wildcats to a 55-46 fourth-quarter comeback victory over Wilberforce University in the first game of a Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) crossover Thursday at Gaston Lewis Arena.
Wiley (3-7, 1-3 HBCUAC) won their second consecutive game and third in the last four. It is its first conference victory since January 20, which snapped an 11-game losing streak in conference play. The Lady Wildcats held their opponent under 50 points for the third time in the last four games.
Nerestant tallied 11 points and 15 rebounds - nine of her points came in the second half. She added three assists and three steals. Proctor provided 15 points and four rebounds off the bench as she led the team in scoring for the second consecutive game. Celebria Peacock scored 10 points for her third double-digit scoring game. She posted five rebounds and two steals. Tamia Dolls recorded five assists and three steals.
Both teams struggled shooting, hitting less than 30 percent of their shots. Wiley held the edge 29.5 to 27.7 percent. It only scored four points in the first 7:30 of the first quarter. A jumper by Mary Leday sparked a 12-point run. A steal by Nerestant set up a layup for Proctor. A jump shot by Nerestant cut the margin to one at the end of the first quarter.
Tamia Dolls gave the Lady Wildcats its first lead with a jumper at the beginning of the second quarter. They were held scoreless in the next four minutes. Another scoring drought, allowed Wilberforce to take a five-point lead. Jump shots by Peacock and Leday gave Wiley a one-point lead. The Lady Bulldogs took a 27-26 lead into halftime.
Both teams were held scoreless in the first four minutes of the third quarter. Wiley didn't score its first points until 4:12. Wiley took the lead when Proctor hit a pair of free throws after being fouled on an offensive rebound. It only hit one shot in the last two minutes of the quarter and trailed by three entering the fourth.
Jumpers by Peacock and Nerestant put Wiley ahead 39-38. Both teams were scoreless for two minutes. Wilberforce retook the lead with a 3-pointer. Dolls gave the lead back to the Lady Wildcats with a 3-pointer with 5:20 remaining. Proctor got a steal and scored to increase the lead. A steal by Nerestant set up a layup by Peacock. Proctor hit a jumper to give the Lady Wildcats a double-digit lead with 3:44 left.
Wiley will face the defending regular season champion Rust College at 4 p.m. Saturday at Athletes in Action Headquarters. The Lady Bearcats picked up their third win on Tuesday against Oakwood.
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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