LIVINGSTON, Ala. --- A trio scored in double figures as the Mississippi College women's basketball team snapped a four-game slide and picked up its second Gulf South Conference victory of the season as it topped the University of West Alabama 69-60 in overtime on Friday, Dec. 15. MC improved to 3-7 on the campaign and 2-5 in the conference. The Tigers fell to 2-8 and 1-5 in the league.
 
It marked the first overtime outing of the season for the Blue and Gold and its first since Feb. 24, 2022 at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
 
Brett Gardner paced the Choctaws with 14 points while Karly Ivy added 12 to finish second on the team in scoring. Gardner and Ivy have produced 10-plus points each five times on the season. It marked the 14th of Gardner's career and the 11th for Ivy.
 
Kyiah Julian rounded out the double-digit point producers as she poured in 10 points, in her first action in over a month. It is the first game in double figures for the Greenwood, Ark., native and the 32nd of her career.
 
Amelia Bell led the squad on the glass as the O'Fallon, Ill., native grabbed nine of the team's 44 boards. The team rebound total marked a season high and surpassed its previous best of 43 set against the University of Montevallo on Dec. 8.
 
MC shot 35.7 percent from the floor, including a 38.1 clip from behind the arc. It also converted 11 of its 14 shots from the free-throw line for 78.6 percent. The Blue and Gold turned the Tigers over 15 times in the contest – the second most by an opponent this season while the Choctaws turned the ball over the second fewest times on the campaign.
 
The Blue and Gold rode the final minutes of the fourth quarter as it entered overtime. Julian broke the final tie of the contest of the game as she drained her second 3-pointer of the game and place the Choctaws up 59-56. Ivy followed with a jumper to push the advantage to five points. MC rode the momentum and reached a double-digit advantage with 23 ticks remaining in the game. Bell gave the squad its largest lead of the game, 69-58, as she converted on the first of a pair of free throws. MC was 6-of-8 from the line during the extra five minutes. MC outproduced their neighbors to the east in OT as it outscored them 13-4.

"I truly think this has been our best team win since I've been here," said head coach Greg Long. "It was our best defensive performance in conference play this season and one of our best of the season. Brett played her best defensive game of her career. Kyiah is such a competitor and set the tone mentally for the team. We were more aggressive on both ends of the floor and proved the difference in the game and especially in overtime."
 
Julia Rodriguez derailed the double-figure, MC victory as she scored on a layup with under a second remaining. It was the only field goal of the extra period for the Red and White. The Tigers other two points came from two trips to the free-throw line from Maryanne Logsdon and Kendall Lacoste.
 
The Choctaws retained a six-point advantage following the first 10 minutes of action, but found themselves deadlocked at 28-all at the intermission. It was one of 11 stalemates during the contest. After outscoring the Tigers 16-15 in the third period, MC clung to a one-point lead heading into the final 10 minutes of regulation, 44-43. Gardner handed the Blue and Gold the lead as she knocked down a 3-pointer with a minute left in the quarter – the final bucket of the period for either team.
 
MC marched its lead out to as many as five points in the fourth quarter, but found themselves behind 56-52 at the midway point of the period. However, they scored the final two buckets of regulation as Sky Vaughn and Bell both knocked down jumpers to eliminate the deficit. Logsdon had two chances to lift the Tigers back in front during the final 30 seconds, but didn't convert and left the door open for the Choctaws to win at the buzzer, but a Bell jumper, as time expired, fell shot sending the contest to the extra period.  
 
Lacoste led the Tigers with 17 points while Shayla Gordon pulled down 12 rebounds. UWA shot 36.2 percent from the field, including a 44.4 clip from the 3-point line, and connected on 6-of-10 chances as the charity stripe for 60.0 percent. The field-goal percentage is the lowest by a GSC opponent for the Choctaws and the third lowest of the season. The Red and White totaled 50 boards.
 
The win gave the Choctaws their 17th in the series and its first on the Tigers' home floor since Feb. 26, 2022. It marked the sixth for the program against the Tigers in Livingston and snapped a two-game slide in the all-time series.
 
Mississippi College returns to action on Sunday, Dec. 17 as it continues its tour of the State of Alabama at UAH. Tip-off in the Rocket City is at 2 p.m.

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