Comeback Falls Short Against Magicians
Box Score When LeMoyne-Owen built a 19-point lead in the second half Monday night, it looked as if Miles would concede defeat to one of the top teams in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
While the Lady Golden Bears came up short in a 69-64 defeat, they certainly made the Magicians work hard to earn the victory. Miles (5-14, 2-10 SIAC) cut the lead to six points with five-and-a-half minutes left before LeMoyne-Owen (14-5, 9-2) was able to stem the tied.
Porshia Blue, the SIAC's leading scorer, scored 28 points - her fifth straight game with at least 20 points - and grabbed seven rebounds for Miles while Rachel Hughes had 14 points and 10 rebounds for LeMoyne-Owen, which had four players score in double figures.
The Lady Golden Bears never led but did their best to keep the Magicians in their sights. LOC led by as many as 13 in the first half but Miles just trailed 31-22 at the intermission. Midway through the second half, LeMoyne-Owen led 51-32 and Miles looked dead in the water. But once the team was able to establish its full court pressure, the Magicians had trouble getting the ball into the frontcourt and the Lady Bears made them pay. A 17-4 run over a five-minute stretch - fueled by great play from Blue,
Ashley Steger and
Joidon Jennings - pulled Miles to within 55-49. Eventually, LOC would open another double-digit advantage and Miles' comeback would run out of time.
Steger had 13 points, four assists and four steals for Miles, which is back in action on Saturday when it travels to take on Tuskegee. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m.
