MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (Jan. 28, 2015) – Despite maintaining the lead for most of the game, the Milligan College women’s basketball team could not withstand the pressure of the Union College Bulldogs as they fell 72-64 on Wednesday night.
Milligan fell to 8-14 overall (6-8 Appalachian Athletic Conference), while Union College, who is currently receiving votes in the top 25 poll, improved to 13-6 overall (10-3 AAC).
The Buffs were able to jump ahead early with three consecutive steals in the first two minutes of the game, one from Allison Jones and two from Lindsee Price. The Buffs forced 13 total Union turnovers throughout the first half.
Hayley Wyrick got the scoring started as she recorded the first four points of the game, and then Jones and Kelly Barnett took over. At the half, Jones scored 12 points while Barnett scored eight.
A 3-pointer from senior Chelsey Weddle in the last seven seconds of the half put the Buffs up by 10 heading into the half, 36-26, their largest lead to that point.
With back-to-back 3-pointers just after the half from Weddle and Wyrick, the Buffs would continue to maintain the lead for most of the second half. It was not until the final six minutes of the game that the Bulldogs would finally take the lead, but not for long.
In the final six minutes, there were a total of five lead changes, but the Buffs could not hold onto their final lead of the game, falling 72-64 to the Bulldogs.
“I felt the entire second half that [Union was] the aggressors and we weren’t,” commented Head Coach Rich Aubrey. “The first half we were the aggressors, and that just completely changed in the second half. It’s not surprising that that’s the way it played out in the last three minutes; they attacked and we got a little bit on our heels.”
Milligan was led in scoring by Jones with 18 points followed by Wyrick who added 15 points of her own without a turnover. Weddle, who recorded 14 points, went 3-for-5 from behind the 3-point arc. Price tallied three steals on the night, while Weddle recorded eight rebounds. Barnett recorded seven assists on the evening, just one off of her career high of eight assists which she set back in December against St. Catharine College.
Junior Lydia Nash led the Bulldogs in scoring with 19 points, 14 of which came from the free throw line in the last eight minutes of the game. Junior Haley Perkins recorded a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds for Union.
Milligan will host the Fighting Koalas of Columbia College in AAC action on Saturday, Jan. 31. Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m. at the Steve Lacy Fieldhouse.
