Women's Basketball Comes Back in Fourth Quarter to Beat KCU

GRAYSON, Ky.- The women's basketball used a fourth-quarter comeback to defeat the Kentucky Christian University Lady Knights on Wednesday. Tennessee Wesleyan won the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) game 70-65. 

Tennessee Wesleyan set the tone early with an aggressive defensive approach and efficient offense. Anna Crowder got the Lady Bulldogs on the board with two made free throws, and Courtney Farr immediately followed with a steal that led to a fast-break opportunity. After a back-and-forth exchange, Jalaya Lindsey scored consecutive layups off assists from Jacelyn Stone, giving TWU an early 10-8 lead. Talley Lawson extended the advantage with a jumper and a three-pointer from Stone capped off a strong first quarter, with the Lady Bulldogs leading 24-19.

The opponents came out strong in the second quarter, outscoring the Tennessee Wesleyan 21-14 in the period. Tennessee Wesleyan continued to find offensive success, with Julia Howard and Alexis Bates hitting key shots to keep the Lady Bulldogs in the game. However, Kentucky Christian made it a tough quarter for TWU but the team only trailed by two points at halftime, 40-38.

A low-scoring third quarter saw saw the deficit grow for for the Lady Bulldogs. Kentucky Christian went ahead by 13 points as the offense for Tennessee Wesleyan struggled momentarily., but the Lady Bulldogs remained composed. A layup from Lindsey in the final minutes of the quarter helped Tennessee Wesleyan stay close, making the deficit single digits entering the fourth quarter down 56-47.

Tennessee Wesleyan saved their best for last, outscoring Kentucky Christian 23-9 in the fourth quarter. Stone and Crowder sparked the comeback with clutch shooting, while Lindsey and Bates provided key defensive stops. With just over two minutes left, Crowder hit a crucial layup to give Wesleyan a 67-62 lead. Kentucky Christian attempted to respond but struggled to score against the Lady Bulldogs tightened defense. Crowder added a free throw in the final moments, sealing the 70-65 victory.

Lindsey led the offense with 17 points while Bates and Crowder each had 11 points.

The next game for the Lady Bulldogs (13-11, 10-9 AAC) takes place on Saturday in James L. Robb Gymnasium. The team hosts Columbia College in a conference game at 2:00 p.m.