HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The No. 23 Martin Methodist Women's B asketball team kicked off the second half of its 2017-18 schedule with a 63-55 victory at William Carey (Miss.) University Thursday afternoon.
The RedHawks (12-4, 3-0 SSAC) found themselves in a contest that featured seven ties and 10 lead changes against an improved Lady Crusaders (4-6, 3-2 SSAC) squad.
The RedHawks opened the contest on an 8-0 run, but the Lady Crusaders rattled off seven straight points to pull within one with 3:47 left in the period. The Lady Crusaders knotted the contest at 12-12 and pulled ahead by a 15-12 margin at the end of the frame.
The second quarter was a tight-knit affair as the RedHawks outscored the Lady Crusaders by a 14-9 margin and held a 26-24 lead at halftime.
The second half saw the contest tip in favor of the Lady Crusaders, who built a seven-point lead on a pair of occasions in the period, but the RedHawks pulled within striking distance and trailed by just two, 43-41, at the end of the third.
In the fourth and final period of play, the RedHawks and Lady Crusaders battled to a stalemate at 51-51 with just over four minutes to play. But the RedHawks relied on clutch shooting – both from the floor and at the free throw line – to pull ahead and seal the victory.
Freshman guard Erin Freeman scored a career-best 14 points in the victory for the RedHawks. Fellow backcourt mate Brooklyn Blanchard also tallied 14 points in the win for the RedHawks, who shot 31 percent from the floor.
Sophomore forward Mickey Head notched 12 points and eight rebounds in the victory, highlighted by a clutch basket, a made free throw and a defensive rebound in the game's final 90 seconds.
The win lifted the RedHawks to 8-2 all-time against the Lady Crusaders and marked the first win for the RedHawks in Hattiesburg since Feb. 6, 2016.
The RedHawks return to action on Saturday when they face another historically pesky opponent in Blue Mountain (Miss.) College. The Lady Toppers (0-11, 0-5 SSAC) suffered a 65-36 loss to Bethel (Tenn.) University in their matchup Thursday.
Tipoff in Saturday's contest is set for 2 p.m. in Blue Mountain, Mississippi. Live stats and live video for Saturday's contest can be found online at GoRedHawks.com.
