Women's Basketball downs Philander Smith, extends winning streak
Five Wiley University women's basketball players scored in double digits, as the Lady Wildcats pulled away in the fourth quarter of a 78-68 victory over Philander Smith University in a Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference game Thursday at Alumni Gymnasium.
The victory is the third straight for the Lady Wildcats, who move to fifth place in the HBCUAC Standings. It snaps a seven-game losing streak against the Lady Panthers, giving Wiley its first victory since 2021 and its first as conference opponents.
Mary Leday led the team in scoring for the third consecutive game with 17. She hit six shots, including a 3-pointer that helped seal the win. Leday added six assists, four steals and three rebounds. Mya Jones followed with 14 points, four rebounds and three steals. Jessica Nerestant recorded her ninth double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Celebria Peacock contributed 12 points, four assists and four rebounds. Tamia Dolls tallied 10 points off the bench, three assists and two rebounds. Kelechi Dike posted 12 rebounds and five points.
Wiley held a 30-27 advantage at halftime. Two jumpers by Peacock and one by Jones increased the lead to nine with 7:36 left in the third. Two turnovers helped the Lady Panthers trim the margin to two. Leday hit a layup and 3-pointer to push the lead to seven with 3:22 remaining. Technical difficulties with the scoreboard caused multiple stoppages of play. Wiley only hit one field goal which allowed Philander Smith to draw even at 46 with 1:05 left in the quarter. Dolls gave the lead back to Wiley with a 3-pointer.
The Lady Panthers (13-9, 6-7 HBCUAC) briefly took the lead in the fourth quarter. Kendall Campbell tied the game with a jumper with five minutes remaining. With 2:42 left in the game, Dolls was fouled attempting a 3-pointer. She sank all three free throws to put Wiley ahead 66-63. Following a defensive stop, Leday doubled the lead with a 3-pointer. Philander Smith missed a jumper and Peacock grabbed the rebound and scored a layup to increase the margin to eight.
The Lady Wildcats (10-10, 7-6 HBCUAC) were narrowly outshot 42.9 to 42.6 percent. They dominated the glass, outrebounding Philander Smith 49-31. Wiley lost the turnover battle 23-21 but outscored the Lady Panthers 18-17 in points off turnovers.
Next up for the Lady Wildcats is their last non-conference game against Arlington Baptist University at 5 p.m. Tuesday. They crushed the Lady Patriots 89-42 on the road in December.
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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