ROME, Ga. --- The Mississippi College women's basketball team continued its pursuit of a Gulf South Conference Tournament berth as it topped Shorter University, 51-44, inside the Winthrop-King Centre on the Hawks' home floor. MC improved to 11-13 on the season and 10-11 in conference play.
 
Three Choctaws scored in double figures led by Kyiah Julian and Amelia Bell with 12 points apiece. Karly Ivy rounded out the Blue and Gold trio with 10 points. Keller Bigham paced the squad on the glass as she brought in six rebounds.
 
MC shot 38.2 percent from the field and were 8-for-12 from the charity stripe. The unit hauled in 34 boards in the decision.
 
Derrica McCall led all scorers with 15 points and led the way with seven rebounds. SU shot 33.3 percent from the floor was 9-of-16 from the free-throw line. The Blue and White totaled 28 rebounds.
 
MC opened the contest outscoring the Hawks 16-5 in the first 10 minutes of action and took a 22-13 advantage in the locker room, despite a low-scoring second period by both squads. The Choctaws held the advantage at double-digits much of the third quarter until a McCall jumper with six seconds remaining in the period drew SU to within nine points.
 
The Choctaws built the margin back to double figures as Sky Vaughn knocked down a jumper with seven minutes to play, gaining a 43-33 lead. MC gained its largest lead of the contest, 13 points, on a Bell layup with just under six minutes left. The visitors from the Magnolia State held the double-figure lead until the Hawks' final push over the last minute, when they closed the game on a 5-0 run. However, it was not enough as MC gained its fourth road victory of the season.
 
MC lies on the cusp of the top eight in the conference standings as they currently reside in ninth – half a game back of the University of West Georgia and University of West Florida. The top eight teams in the conference advance to the tournament with the top four seeds hosting the lower four seeds on Tuesday, March 5 on campus sites. The Choctaws have three games remaining on the regular season with two against in-state foe, Delta State University, and visit to West Georgia to close out the regular-season slate.
 
Mississippi College returns to action on Wednesday, Feb. 21 to resume a halted contest with Delta State. Resumption is slated for 5:30 p.m. in Walter Sillers Coliseum.
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