Women's Basketball overwhelms Virgin Islands
Wiley University women's basketball player Mary Leday scored 21 points, Jessica Nerestant and Celebria Peacock recorded double-doubles to lead the Lady Wildcats to a resounding 86-46 victory over the University of the Virgin Islands in a Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) game Saturday at Alumni Gymnasium.
The Lady Wildcats (9-10, 6-6 HBCUAC) put together consecutive wins for the second time this season and improved to 3-3 at home. They move into sixth in the HBCUAC Standings This is their third victory by 40 or more points.
Leday hit seven shots with six from 3-point territory to set a new career scoring high in consecutive games. She contributed nine rebounds, four steals, two blocks and two assists.
"I just listened to my teammates telling me to 'shoot the ball,'" Leday said.
Nerestant recorded 14 points and 14 rebounds for her eighth double-double. Peacock provided 14 points and 12 assists, becoming the first Lady Wildcat to notch a double-double with points and assists since November 22, 2021. Tamia Dolls supplied 14 points, two assists and a steal. Nine out of 10 Lady Wildcats put points on the board.
Wiley held a narrow 14-13 lead after the first quarter. Leading by one with 2:21 left in the second, Nerestant got fouled on an offensive rebound and sparked a 14-point run. Peacock stole the ball and set up Dolls for a layup to give the Lady Wildcats a 35-24 halftime advantage. They held the Lady Buccaneers scoreless for nearly five minutes and didn't allow them to hit a shot until 58 seconds left in the third quarter. Virgin Islands only hit one of 19 shot attempts with 3:15 left in the second quarter.
Three-pointers by Dolls, Leday and Nyathiel Wal widened the margin to 28 points. The Lady Wildcats outshot the Virgin Islands 42.1 to 25.9 percent. They edged the Lady Buccaneers 47-42 in rebounding. Wiley dominated the turnover battle, forcing 32 and only giving up 19.
The homestand continues on Thursday as the Lady Wildcats rematch against Philander Smith University at 5 p.m. They fell 68-62 on the road on Monday. Wiley will look to snap a seven-game losing streak against the Lady Panthers.
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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