CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College women's basketball team will open a two-game homestand on Thursday night when they host Christian Brothers University at 6:00 p.m. in A.E. Wood Coliseum.
This will be just the 2nd all-time meeting between the two schools, with the other coming earlier this season. The Lady Choctaws went up to Memphis on December 13th and picked up their first Gulf South Conference victory in 19 years, a 56-45 win at Canale Arena. The MC defense gave up a season-low in points and held CBU to just 32% shooting from the field.
Allie Hill went 3-of-6 from the three-point line and scored a season-high 17 points, while
Ashley Minor came off the bench to score 15.
Head coach
Paul Allen Duke coached his 500th career game this past Saturday at West Alabama. He began his 20-year career at MC in the 1995-96 season and is the all-time leader in school history in wins (339) and winning percentage (.678). Duke earned his 300th career victory over January 14th, 2012 against East Texas Baptist.
In Coach Duke's 500th game at MC, the Lady Choctaws took a 28-26 lead into halftime at West Alabama. The Tigers came roaring back in the second half, shooting 63% from the field and scoring 49 points to pick up the 75-67 comeback victory over the Lady Choctaws.
Ashley Minor led MC with 15 points, while
Kristen Sampson had 12 points, going 8-of-8 from the free throw line.
Mollie Blair was a perfect 4-of-4 from the field, scoring a season-high 11 points. Britney McCloud led all scorers with 28 points for UWA.
Minor is leading the Lady Choctaws with 11.6 points per game, just ahead of Sampson (11.5 ppg). Minor also leads the team with 44 steals, including a season-high 10 in a victory over West Florida. Sampson ranks 2nd on the team in 3-point shooting (.419) behind Blair's mark of .421.
AnnMarie Harris (6.3 rpg) is the team's leading rebounder, while Hill leads the squad with 36 assists. Sophomore
Zaneta Kubicka has a team-high 21 blocked shots, which is the most for a Lady Choctaw in a single-season since assistant coach
Jalessa Taylor had 22 in the 2009-10 season.
The Lady Bucs, who are led by fifth-year head coach Sarah Condra, have lost six straight games and eight of their last nine with the win coming by one point at Valdosta State. The offense has struggled this season for CBU, scoring 60 or more points just four times all season and not once over the last 11 games.
Breanna Ridgell is the team's leading scorer at 16.2 points per game, while Taylor Pugh leads the team with 6.5 rebounds per game. Courtney Banks has a team-high 55 assists to go along with 8.9 points per game, while Rachel Lee is 25-of-93 from the three-point line.
