Women's Basketball Clips Lady Rams

Athens, Tenn.- The women's basketball team returned home for an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) game on Saturday. The team hosted the Columbia International University Lady Rams in James L. Robb Gymnasium.

Jordan Wright scored to put the game in a 2-2 tie. The opponents scored five straight points to move ahead 7-2. Five straight points from Cambree Mayo helped the team cut the lead down to two points. Columbia International kept their lead, scoring six of the next eight points to take a 15-9 lead. Abbey Barr, Anna Crowder and Mikalee Martin scored but the team went into the second quarter trailing 20-15.

TWU took over the lead in the second quarter. Seven consecutive points scored by Wright along with a jumper by Crowder moved the team ahead 24-23. After tying the score at 28, the Lady Rams went ahead 31-28 with 4:46 left. Alexis Bates hit a jump shot which started a 6-2 run, which included scores by Martin and Crowder, helping the Lady Bulldogs lead 34-33 at halftime.

The lead changed five times throughout the first few minutes of the second half. A three-pointer gave Columbia International a 43-39 lead with 6:16 left in the third quarter. A pair of free throws by Ella Crowder and a Barr jumper put the game in a 43-43 tie. The opponents broke the tie though and moved ahead 50-46 over the next few minutes. Yeika Jimenez Diaz started a run of eight straight points, helping the team move ahead 54-50 with 2:02 left in the third. The third quarter ended with the teams tied 55-55.

A defensive fourth quarter saw the teams combine for 16 points. Columbia International scored the first two points of the quarter to break the tie. Jacelyn Stone tied the game once again before a three-pointer by the opponents gave them a three-point lead. With 2:21 left, the Lady Bulldogs had taken a 62-60 lead. Barr hit a free throw and Stone knocked down two baskets to give the team the advantage. Points 13 and 14 of the fourth quarter were scored by the Lady Rams, putting the game in a 62-62 tie. The final two points of the quarter occurred with eight seconds left. The 15^th and 16^th points of the quarter gave Tennessee Wesleyan the victory as Diaz scored on a layup off a Wright assist, making the final score 64-62.

Diaz and Wright led the offense with 13 points each. Martin led on the boards with six rebounds.

The win moved the team's record to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the AAC.