PULASKI, Tenn. – Junior guard Destiney Williams swished home her only two-point field goal of the game on a go-ahead effort with 14 seconds remaining as the Martin Methodist Women's Basketball team upset No. 11 Bethel (Tenn.) University, 43-42, in the Curry Christian Life Center Saturday afternoon
In a game that featured nine ties and 10 lead changes, the RedHawks (9-3, 1-0 SSAC) and the Lady Wildcats (6-6, 0-1) both built sizable leads only to see their opponent make a run and draw close.
The RedHawks made and benefitted from a late run as they erased a seven-point fourth-quarter deficit and pulled out the one-point win behind the bucket from Williams.
After the RedHawks took a 41-40 lead after a free throw from Jemia Carpenter, Bethel reclaimed the lead on a shot in the lane from Morgan Martin. With just 16 seconds remaining, sophomore guard Brooklyn Blanchard drove down the left side of the lane and fired up a shot for the RedHawks that missed the target.
Williams was there to grab the miss, however, and her right-handed leaner rattled around the rim before it finally dropped and gave the RedHawks the lead for good. The shot produced the only points of the night from inside the arc for Williams, who had swished home two earlier 3-pointers to finish the game with eight points.
The Lady Wildcats had two final shot attempts, including a look at the fourth-quarter buzzer, but could not connect on either effort.
Despite the late scoring, points were at a premium in the low-scoring affair. The teams combined for just 31 made field goals and neither club shot above 30 percent from the floor.
Carpenter paced the RedHawks with 13 points on a 4-of-13 effort from the floor. Treasure Hunt added 12 points off the bench as the lone other double-digit scorer.
Martin finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds for the Lady Wildcats.
The win was the third over a ranked opponent this season for the RedHawks, who picked up a victory in their third straight conference opener. The victory over Bethel marked the third in the last four tries for the RedHawks.
"This was not a pretty win by any means," RedHawks head coach Kyle Bent said. "But a win over a ranked opponent is always nice. Bethel is always an extremely tough opponent. They are very talented and very well coached. I am thrilled with our dedication and effort down the stretch. Bethel could have put this game away, but our ladies dug deep to get this one at the end. It is always great to start conference play on a winning note. We will enjoy a day or two of rest and begin to prepare for a big three-game road swing."
The RedHawks will travel to NCAA Division I foe Southern Illinois-Carbondale for an exhibition game on Dec. 7 and then head to Tuscaloosa, Alabama for a showdown versus Stillman College on Dec. 9.
