MEMPHIS, Tenn. --- The Mississippi College women's basketball team opened Gulf South Conference play with a 62-53 victory at Christian Brothers University on Thursday, Dec. 5. MC improved to 5-2 on the season and 1-0 in conference play.
 
The win extended the Choctaws to four consecutive in the series with the Buccaneers and the second in a row on the road.
 
A pair of Choctaws scored in double figures led by Amelia Bell with 14 points while Keller Bigham added 11. The duo also led the way on the glass as Bell grabbed seven boards as Bigham chimed in six. Tiara Abron and Tytiana Buckley missed out on double digits with nine points apiece.
 
MC shot 43.4 percent from the field and was a perfect 11-for-11 from the charity stripe. The squad pulled down 35 rebounds in the decision.
 
After a back-and-forth tussle in the opening quarter, which saw the Blue and Gold hold a 17-15 advantage, the visitors from the Magnolia State held a five-point lead at the intermission. MC turned up the heat in the third period as it outscored the Red and Black 20-9. Bigham paced the unit as she posted six of her 11 points in the stanza.
 
The Choctaw expanded their margin in the fourth quarter as they managed the double-digit lead nearly the remainder of the way. MC reached largest of the game at the 7:30 mark as Sky Vaughn scored on a turnover – two of the team's 26 in the contest. CBU chipped away and cut the deficit to single digits with 28 ticks remaining, but it wasn't enough to topple the Blue and Gold.
 
MC dominated the Red and Black in the paint scoring 36 points and outscoring its opponents by 30 in the category.
 
Mississippi College returns to action on Saturday, Dec. 7 as it continues its Tennessee road trip traveling to Jackson, Tenn., to face No. 20 Union University. Tip at Fred DeLay Gymnasium is 2 p.m.