Balanced attack pushes Lady Bears past Lane
Box Score
Four players scored in double figures, paced by
Morgan Hardy's 13 points and 13 rebounds, and Miles kept its composure after squandering a fourth-quarter lead to take a 67-62 win over Lane in a non-conference tilt Thursday night at Knox-Windham Gymnasium.
The Lady Dragons (6-9) had erased a seven-point deficit and led 60-59 with just less than two minutes remaining. But Hardy nailed two free throws and
Victoria Sutton (eight points, three assists, two steals) nailed a 3-pointer on the the Lady Golden Bears (6-7) next possession to push their advantage back to four points and Lane never recovered.
The game was tight throughout with eight ties and 10 lead changes. Lane held a slight edge on the boards but could not contain Hardy, who had six offensive boards and set a season-high in rebounds as she posted her second straight double-double. Miles also gained advantages from the outside - knocking down seven 3-pointers to just one for Lane - and forced 20 turnovers which led to 25 points.
A
Larian Scott 3-pointer at the 2:50 mark in the second quarter gave miles a 28-22 lead and the Lady Bears went into the half with a 32-28 advantage. Two more triples - one by Scott, one by
Ashley Steger (10 points) - each gave Miles a seven-point lead in the third quarter, which ended with a 50-45 lead. When
Ashley McCrear (10 points) scored with 7:11 left, Miles still led 54-47 and it appeared that the Lady Dragons would not put up much of a fight.
But a 7-0 run over the next three minutes put a quick end to that thinking. A 3-point play by
Taylor Terry quickly gave Miles the lead but Lane would get a bucket from Shadarian Beasley with 2:42 left to give it the lead for the first time since the second quarter. The two exchanged scores before the Lady Bears took control down the stretch.
Tashara Jones had 19 points and nine rebounds to lead Lane. Scott (13 points) tied for high-scoring honors with Hardy, who added three assists, two blocks and two steals for Miles, which travels to play Central State Saturday at 4 p.m.
