The Miles women's basketball team closed out the home portion of this season's schedule with back-to-back wins over Kentucky State. The Lady Bears (8-11) used outside shooting to take and early lead and rolled to a 59-46 win over the Thorobrettes (1-6) on Friday before using a strong second-half defensive effort to buoy a 51-40 Saturday on Senior Day. Five student-athletes - Amya Bryant, Charlisa Wellington, Kierra Patrick, Katrice Jackson, and Raiana Johnson went out on top in their final performances at Knox-Windham Gymnasium.

FRIDAY - MILES 59, KENTUCKY STATE 46

The Lady Bears came out firing, making five 3-pointers before connecting on a field goal attempt from inside the arc. Raven Hand (10 points) and Bryant each had two triples that sandwiched a 3-ball by Nia Bradley. By the time Nadia Cathey (eight points, four assists, three steals) finally connected on a 2-point attempt, Miles held a 20-17 advantage with 6:36 left in the first half. KSU, though, never let Miles get too far in front and went into halftime trailing just 26-22.

While the Thorobrettes scored the first point of the contest, they never led at any time after that moment. But they had several opportunities to forge ahead in the third quarter. Sarah Woghiren scored early in the period to tie the game at 26 but missed the ensuing free throw. Bryant (11 points) would score on Miles' next possession to start a 6-0 run culminated by a 3-pointer from Tomesia Staten to give the Lady Bears some breathing room. But KSU kept coming, closing to within one point and getting three shots to retake the lead. But Miles locked down on the defensive end, allowing just one basket over the final 5:55 to take a 42-34 lead into the fourth quarter.

KSU only trailed by four points early in the fourth but Miles would score nine straight points to put the game away. Two buckets by Jackson (five points, seven rebounds, two blocks) were followed by a 3-pointer from Bryant - the team's seventh of its eight in the game - to give the Lady Bears a 54-41 advantage, the largest lead of the game.

Lyndsey Downing scored 16 points and Woghiren had 10 points and 10 rebounds for Kentucky State. Markisha Body scored a team-high 13 points to pace the Lady Bears.

SATURDAY - MILES 51, KENTUCKY STATE 40

The Lady Bears turned the screws on Kentucky State in the third quarter, erasing an eight point deficit and ultimately playing most of the second half with the lead.

KSU shot less than 24 percent from the field in the first half but when Andrea Wallace scored with 90 seconds left in the first half, the Thorobrettes led 22-14. Miles still trailed by six going into the third quarter but allowed just one basket in the third quarter to take over the contest. Cathey (10 points, three steals) drained a 3-pointer with less than three minutes into the period to put the Lady Bears ahead 23-22. But it was took back-to-back 3-pointers from Staten and Hand to break a tie at 27 and give Miles the lead for good.

Miles held Kentucky State without a field goal for nearly eight minutes between the third and fourth quarters. When Bryant made 1-of-2 free throws with 8:41 left, the Lady Bears held a 40-30 lead. The seniors helped but their mark on their final home contest all over the floor. Forwards Jackson, Johnson and Wellington held a block party for Miles, swatting 10 shots among them and the Lady Bears finished with 11 blocks for the game, the most for the team in more than a decade and just the third time in that time that the team has even reached double figures.

Andrea Wallace had 10 points and 13 rebounds to lead Kentucky State. Jackson (11 points, 13 rebounds, four blocks), Johnson four rebounds, four blocks), Wellington (two points, three rebounds, two blocks, two assists), Bryant (four points, three assists), and Patrick (three rebounds, assist) all filled the stat sheet for the Lady Bears.

UP NEXT

The Lady Bears finish their season with two games on the road next weekend at Kentucky State on Friday and Saturday.