CLINTON, Miss. --- A trio of Mississippi College women's basketball players provided career-high performances as the Choctaws fell 70-60 to the University of Montevallo on Friday, Dec. 8. MC moved to 2-6 on the season and 1-4 in Gulf South Conference play while the Falcons improved to 6-2 and 4-1 in the league.
 
Brett Gardner paced the Blue and Gold as she matched her career best with 19 points. Karly Ivy reset her career-high with 15 points. Her previous best in the scoring column came on Nov. 27 as she tallied 14 points against Christian Brothers.
 
DeKeria Walls led MC on the glass. The freshman nabbed a season-high 11 rebounds and surpassed her previous best of eight set at Valdosta State University on Dec. 3. Walls compiled nine points – a new season best.
 
Keller Bigham finished second on the team in boards as she matched a season best with seven. The Blue and Gold also held the advantage on the glass with 43 to the Falcons' 40. It marked the fourth time this season the team has won the battle on the boards this season and the first since the affair against Christian Brothers.
 
MC shot 32.8 percent from the field, including a 41.2 clip from behind the arc. Both outputs rank third best this season. The Choctaw connected on 13-of-17 from the free-throw line, for 76.5 percent – the fourth best clip on the ledger this season.
 
The Choctaw led 16-13 following the opening 10 minutes, but found themselves trailing 32-29 at the break after the Purple and Gold outscored the squad 19-13 in the second stanza. The lead after the first quarter marked the first time for the team all season.
 
The Falcons turned up the pressure in the second half as it opened the third on a 13-0 run over the first three minutes. The Blue and Gold rallied and narrowed the deficit to nine points, aided by a Gardner trey as time expired, heading into the final stanza. UM edged the Choctaws by one point in the final period.
 
Ramie Reed led the Purple and Gold with 16 points as she one of three players in double figures for the visitors from the Yellowhammer State. Marisa Snodgrass paced the team with 11 rebounds. UM finished the night with 43.9 percent from the floor.
 
The Choctaw defense limited the Purple and Gold to 21.1 percent from the 3-point line and 53.3 percent from the charity stripe – both season lows for the Falcons. MC has held its opponents to under 30.0 percent from behind the arc during the 2023-24 campaign.
 
Mississippi College returns to action on Sunday, Dec. 10 as it hosts Auburn University at Montgomery. Tip-off is at 2 p.m.
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