(CLEVELAND) – On Monday, the No. 7 Truett McConnell University women’s basketball team hosted Appalachian Athletic Conference opponent, No. 10 Bluefield College, inside the Benjamin F. Brady Arena for the opening round of the AAC Tournament. The Lady Bears secured their ticket to Kingsport with a 58-52 victory over the Rams. TMU sits at a record of 18-13, while the Rams conclude their season with a record of 11-16.
PLAY BY PLAY
In the first quarter, the Lady Bears stormed the court, starting with a three pointer from Re’Tavia Floyd, followed by two free throws. A layup from Jessica Jackson, Quan Holton and Camilla Callihan gave TMU an early seven-point advantage over the Rams. A layup from Alysee Dobbs and two free throws from Holton had the Lady Bears ahead 23-11 at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, TMU continued to be aggressive and did not let up. A layup and three point shot from Jackson increased the deficit to 14, followed by a Natale Nixon three-point shot. Free throws from Callihan and a jump shot from Sydney Rumble sent TMU into the half leading, 37-25.
In the third quarter, the Rams slowly started to cut at the deficit. A three-point shot from Rumble left the deficit at 13, until the Rams switched gears. By the end of the quarter, the Lady Bears had a five-point advantage, leading 44-39. In the final quarter, the Rams made it interesting by being the first to score. The Rams caught up with the Lady Bears and took the lead for a short period. With their season on the line, TMU kicked it up a notch with a three-point shot from Rumble and a jump shot and three-pointer from Holton. The Lady Bears were ahead by five in the final minute, while two free throws from Callihan secured the 58-52 victory over the Rams.
LEADERS
Holton led the way with 20 points, going 7-9 from within the paint and 5-5 at the free throw line, while also tallying nine rebounds. Callihan followed with nine points, going 5-9 at the free throw line. Rumble contributed eight points, going 2-6 from behind the three-point arc. Jackson had seven points on the evening, going 3-5 from within the paint. Dobbs closed it out with six points of her own, going 3-4 from within the paint, along with three rebounds.
UP NEXT
The Lady Bears will travel to Kingsport, Tenn. on Thursday, Feb. 24 for their second AAC Tournament matchup against No. 2 Milligan University. Tipoff set for 7:30 p.m.
