LADY WILDCATS ESCAPE BEARS DEN WITH 68-53 VICTORY OVER LADY BEARS
FAIRFIELD, AL – The 2nd ranked Fort Valley State University Lady Wildcats (12-6; 10-2) basketball team survived an upset bid Tuesday night by escaping the Bears Den with a 68-53 win over the Miles College Lady Bears (9-5; 6-4) at Knox-Windham Gymnasium.
In the first half, the lead changed five times and score tied seven, as Fort Valley State jumped out to an 18-12 lead with a jumper by Kendra Evans with 11:50 remaining in the half. Miles would tie the game at 23-23 for the 7th time on a free throw by sophomore Alicia Ware with 3:28 left and a made free throw by senior Ashley Orphey with 13 seconds remaining to put the Lady Bears up 33-25 in the first frame.
Miles shot 38.5 percent from the field and 75.0 percent (12-of-16) from the foul line in this half, while the Lady Wildcats would hit 28.6 percent of their shots and 50.0 percent from the line.
Ware scored seven points and junior's Sammeika Thomas and Kamissah Shaw grabbed seven and six rebounds each and Orphey added another six points in the half.
Jasmine Birdsong led the Lady Wildcats with nine points and Kadeidra Freeland had six rebounds.
In the second frame, Miles took their largest lead 37-25 on a layup by Orphey with 18:55 to go and Fort Valley State would go ahead 43-41 on a three pointer by Kadeidra Freeland with 12:27 left. It would be all Lady Wildcats from there, as Kadeidra Freeland hit two free throws with 17 seconds left to increase the score to 68-53 and the win.
The lady Bears out rebounded the Lady Wildcats 25-14 in the first frame.
The Lady Bears hit 29.4 percent from the floor and 21-of-26 (80.8 percent) from the free throw line, while the Lady Wildcats went 22-of-61 (36.1 percent) from the field and 17-of-30 (56.7 percent) at the line.
The Lady Wildcats out rebounded the Lady Bears 41-40 in the last half.
Orphey led the Lady Bears in scoring with 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds, a game-high four assist and four steals, while hitting 6-of-6 free throws. Ware added 11 points and four rebounds and Shaw grabbed a team-high nine rebounds and Thomas another eight boards.
Freeland scored a game-high 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead Fort Valley State University, while Brandi Haynes hit 12.
The Lady Bears will be back in action on Thursday, January 27 at Knox-Windham Gymnasium as they play the Lady Rams of Albany State University at 5:30 p.m.
