The UTM women’s basketball team overcame a sluggish start to the game before putting visiting Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) foe Jacksonville State away late en route to an 86-72 victory.
The Skyhawks (15-8, 11-1 OVC) secured their fifth straight win overall and 12th consecutive victory against the Gamecocks by shooting 51.9 percent from the floor. UTM never trailed in the contest and held a lead as large as 19 points in a game which never seemed in doubt.
UTM saw four different players score in double figures for just the fourth time this season. Chelsey Perry tallied 27 points and seven rebounds in the contest while Maddie Waldrop was close behind with her second straight double-double posting 16 points and 11 rebounds. The guard tandem of Kyannah Grant and Tamiah Stanford joined the pair in double figures with 13 points each.
“The worst nightmare when you play Jacksonville State is that they are going to shoot well and they shot it really well,” UTM head coach Kevin McMillan said. “When they do that, you know you are going have to score and that is a challenge against them. They are tournament type team and we have to be able to handle all of the different styles in the league. We figured out a way to win by putting four players in double figures but we have to play better defensively. Hopefully we can string some progression together and be peaking at the right time.”
Jacksonville State (10-13, 6-6 OVC) struggled mightily in the first quarter offensively, scoring just nine points while shooting 26.7 percent from the field. After the rough opening period, the Gamecocks rallied by shooting well over 40 percent for the final three quarters while knocking down 12 three-pointers to stay within striking distance.
Yamia Johnson paced the Skyhawks with 32 points off the bench by knocking down 7-of-11 three-point attempts. Destiney Elliott also scored in double figures with 15 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double.
UTM will hit the road for a contest at Southeast Missouri on Thursday, Feb. 13. Tipoff from the Show Me Center is scheduled for 5:15 p.m.
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