CLINTON, Miss. --- Four players scored in double figures as the Mississippi College women's basketball team opened the 2015-16 season with a 76-70 win over Belhaven University on Tuesday evening. The loss moves the Blazers to 0-2 on the season.
Chloe Roberts led MC with 21 points while
Carla Clemmons added 14 points. It marked the debuts for the duo in the Navy and Gold.
Allie Hill and
Kristen Sampson each tallied 11 points to round out the double-digit producers.
Toni Woods led the charge on the glass with 10 points – her first career double figure rebounding effort after transferring from Copiah Lincoln Community College.
"We got really good effort tonight from Chloe, Carla, Allie and Kristen in scoring and Toni gave us what we need in rebounds," said head coach
Paul Allen Duke, who improved to 18-3 in season openers and 6-1 against the Blazers. "I also thought Zaneta (Kubicka) played well for us tonight coming off the bench."
Zubicka finished with 7 points and 4 rebounds in 14 minutes on the floor.
The win marks the third straight over BU and the first since the two squads last met in 2002 in Jackson, Miss. The decision also moves the Lady Choctaws' record in season openers to 35-5 and gives the program its 312th win in A.E. Wood Coliseum and 29th in home openers.
MC, which shot 39 percent from the field on the night, forced 26 Belhaven turnovers and capitalized on the miscues with 34 points – outscoring BU by 14 in the category.
"I thought our change in defense really through them off. Our trap in the 1-3-1 defense changed the game for us," Duke said.
The Lady Choctaws led by as many as 15 points in the final quarter, but witnessed its advantage dissipate to 73-68 with under two minutes to play. However, MC would pick up three, free throws down the stretch to extend the lead back to eight points and salt away the victory.
"We still have to work on possession and time," Duke said. "We led most of the second half, but had about a four-minute stretch where we lost focus and let them cut the lead down. I'm proud we kept playing and got our focus back and were able to put the game away."
Candler Gregory paced the Blazers with 20 points while Vamikka Smith grabbed a team-leading 10 rebounds. BU finished the night shooting 41.7 percent from the field.
Mississippi College returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 21 as it hosts Spring Hill College. Tip is slated for 2 p.m.
