Women's Basketball advances with rout over SUNO
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Wiley University women's basketball team had four players score in double figures and took control early in a 65-45 victory over Southern University at New Orleans in the Opening Round of the 2024 Hope Credit Union Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Championship Wednesday at Birthright Alumni Hall.
The Lady Wildcats (12-15) snapped an eight-game losing streak and won their first postseason game since 2020. Cailan Hale led the Lady Wildcats with 14 points while adding six rebounds, a block and an assist. Elizabeth Camacho notched her first career double-double with a career-high 12 points and 11 rebounds. Ashunti Cooper and Tamia Dolls each scored 10 off the bench. Alayia Francis led the team with six assists.
Wiley outshot SUNO 41.9 to 19.5 percent. It dominated the paint outscoring SUNO 36-14 in points in the paint. The Lady Wildcats had more contribution from its bench as they outscored the Lady Knights 29-0.
In the first quarter, Wiley went on a 10-point run after giving up the first basket. Hale hit three shots during the run. The Lady Wildcats held a 16-9 advantage at the end of the quarter. Ashunti Cooper hit a jump shot with 6:30 left in the second. Brianna Garrett stole the ball and scored to put Wiley up by double-digits. Cooper extended the lead to 14 with a 3-pointer. The Lady Wildcats scored the last eight points of the quarter to hold a 38-18 lead at halftime.
Wiley led by as many as 29 in the second half. The large lead allowed head coach DeWitte Mandley to rest his starters in the fourth quarter. Eight Lady Wildcats scored.
The Lady Wildcats will take on the No. 2 seed Philander Smith University in the quarterfinals at 1 p.m. tomorrow. The winner will face the winner of No. 3 Fisk University and No. 6 Talladega College in the semifinals on Saturday.
For more coverage on the Lady Wildcats visit Women's Basketball - Wiley University (wileyathletics.com)
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