Since Miles joined NCAA Division II in 1988, the women's basketball team has never enjoyed a start like the one it's on now.

Miles used a dominant defensive performance in the second half to defeat Fort Valley State 63-42 Monday night at Knox-Windham Gymnasium. The win was the fifth straight for the Lady Bears (7-1, 3-0 SIAC West), who have won their first three conference games for the first time in three years and opened with seven wins in its first eight games for the first time in 30 seasons. Sakina Wynn scored a team-high 15 points and added five rebounds and four assists to lead the charge.

FVSU (1-10, 1-3 SIAC East) opened the game on an 11-4 run. But Miles scored the final nine points of the quarter over the last 4:37 to take the lead and would not trail again. Two buckets by Taylor Terry (12 points, nine rebounds) during the final minute of the second quarter gave the Lady Bears a 36-25 lead at the half and the lead would never dip into single digits the rest of the contest.

The Lady Bears were dominant on the glass, outrebounding the Lady Wildcats 48-34. But defensively, Miles put the clamps on FVSU, allowing just four baskets over the final 20 minutes. Nola Carter (11 points) made the only two baskets for FVSU in the third quarter and Alicia Franklin (17 points) had the other two buckets (both 3-pointers) in the fourth. Overall, FVSU shot just 16 percent in the second half (4-of-25) and a little more than 26 percent for the game.

Victoria Sutton had eight points, five rebounds and five assists while Jasmine Hollis (four points, eight rebounds) and Raiana Johnson (four points, seven rebounds) cleaned up the glass for Miles, which is off until Jan. 5, when it hosts Paine. Tip time is scheduled for 1 p.m.