OWENSBORO, Ky. – The University of Tennessee Southern women's basketball team opened the Kentucky Bluegrass Classic in strong fashion Friday afternoon, using a commanding defensive effort and dominant rebounding to top Midway University, 71–59.
From the opening tip, the Firehawks' size and depth made a difference. Silkiari Vazquez-Troche was everywhere for UT Southern, recording a near triple-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds, six steals, and five assists, while also serving as a steadying presence throughout the contest. Ashley Dickey matched her with 14 points, hitting key free throws down the stretch, and Ramie Reed added 13 points and 13 rebounds for a double-double. Lauren Smith chipped in 10 points and 10 boards, making it four Firehawks in double figures and three with double-doubles. Marypaz Martinez came off the bench to score 13 points on 5-for-11 shooting, including a momentum-swinging second quarter stretch.
After trailing 3–0 early, UT Southern pieced together a 9–2 run behind buckets from Dickey and Vazquez-Troche. The Firehawks outworked Midway on the glass, pulling in 21 rebounds in the opening quarter alone to take a 17–13 lead.
In the second quarter, Martinez and Smith sparked the offense—Martinez's back-to-back layups and a three-pointer pushed the lead to double digits, capped by a 10–2 run that sent UTS into halftime up 38–28.
The Firehawks continued to control the pace in the third quarter, with Reed and Vazquez-Troche converting inside and on the break. Midway briefly cut the margin to seven, but UTS responded as Mia Jones beat the buzzer with a putback to make it 51–42 heading into the final period.
UT Southern's composure showed late, as Smith hit four straight free throws and Dickey's driving layups sealed the win. The Firehawks led by as many as 13 with just over eight minutes remaining and never looked back.
UT Southern finished the game shooting 35% from the field and 75% from the line, while holding Midway to just 22% shooting and forcing 22 turnovers. The Firehawks also dominated the boards 63–58 and outscored the Eagles 42–28 in the paint.
UT Southern Statistical Leaders
Team Comparison
| Category |
UT Southern |
Midway |
| FG% |
34.8% (24–69) |
22.0% (20–91) |
| 3PT% |
12.5% (2–16) |
8.6% (3–35) |
| FT% |
75.0% (21–28) |
72.7% (16–22) |
| Rebounds |
63 |
58 |
| Assists |
10 |
7 |
| Turnovers |
30 |
22 |
| Points in the Paint |
42 |
28 |
| Bench Points |
20 |
22 |
UT Southern improves to 1–0 on the season and continues play in the Kentucky Bluegrass Classic on Saturday, November 1, facing host Brescia University at 7 p.m.
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