CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College women's basketball team outlasted Auburn University at Montgomery 59-54 in the Gulf South Conference action on Thursday evening. MC improved to 7-13 on the season and 3-11 in GSC play. AUM fell to 8-13 and 4-10 in the league.
 
Turning Point
After Emery Wilson gave MC a 57-54 lead with five second remaining, the Lady Choctaw defense clamped down and forced AUM into a five-second violation on its next possession. Zariah Matthews knocked down the ensuing two free throws to secure the five-point win.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Three Lady Choctaws scored in double figures led by Emery Wilson with 15 points. Zariah Matthews added 11 points while Lauran Sheriff poured in 10 points.
• Kaitlyn Thompson pulled down a game-high 21 rebounds.
• MC shot 37.3 percent from the field, including a clip of 31.3 from behind the arc.
• AUM shot 38.2 percent from the floor.
• The Warhawks were forced into 24 turnovers in the contest leading to 30 MC points.
• AUM was led by Evelina Avleeva with 20 points.

Inside the Flow

• MC led 9-7 after the first 10 minutes of play, but trailed 22-21 at the intermission.
• AUM went on a 7-0 run in the span of less than two minutes to grab its largest lead of the game with 8:50 left before the half.
• MC opened the third quarter with a 12-3 to grab a 33-25 lead with just under eight minutes to play in the quarter.
• The Lady Choctaws held a 39-31 advantage at the end of the third quarter.
• MC used a 6-0 run in the opening two minutes of the final period to extend its lead to 45-31.
• MC claimed its largest lead of the game, 52-37, with 4:53 to play on a 3-pointer from Jamilah Sanders.
• AUM went on a 17-3 run over the span of four minutes to clip the deficit to 55-54.
• MC knocked down four, straight free throws in the final five seconds to secure the win.

 
Noteworthy

• Thompson's 15-rebound performance marked a career-high for the Cleveland, Miss., native. Her previous best was 10 against West Georgia on Jan. 9, 2017.
• Wilson tied a career-high with her scoring effort and posted her third game in double figures this season. It equaled her mark against LeMoyne-Owen earlier this season.
• Sheriff posted her 14th double-digit scoring effort – the most by any Lady Choctaw this season.
• MC's rebounding effort marks the ninth time this season the squad has grabbed 40-plus rebounds.

 
Next Up
Mississippi College hosts the University of West Georgia on Saturday, Feb. 3. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. The Lady Choctaws fell in Carrollton, Ga., 57-55, on Dec. 16.