CLINTON, Miss. --- The MC women's basketball team opened Gulf South Conference in the win column as it defeated Christian Brothers, 75-44, at A.E. Wood Coliseum, capitalizing on 33 points off turnovers. MC improved to 2-4 on the season and 1-0 in conference play. CBU fell to 3-4 and 0-1 in the league.
Vivian Sketoe led with a career-high 19 points, converting 5 of 10 from beyond the arc.
Keller Bigham collected nine rebounds, including eight defensive boards.
Mariam Olawoyin added eight points and tallied three steals.
Gabby Collier recorded two steals and contributed four points.
MC opened the game with strong outside shooting, connecting on four 3-pointers, which helped them maintain momentum despite early turnovers. Bigham's 3-pointer at 7:53, assisted by
Valencia McFall, initiated their scoring, and her second trey at 3:57, assisted by
Nia Coleman, further boosted their lead. Despite committing nine turnovers, MC capitalized on their defensive rebounds, with McFall contributing significantly in the paint and at the arc.
The Blue and Gold, which scored a season-high 19 points in the second quarter, opened the period with a strong 9-0 run, highlighted by Sketoe's two early 3-pointers, pushing their lead to 25-13.
Karly Ivy's defensive play, including a steal and an assist, further fueled the momentum. Christian Brothers struggled with turnovers, committing nine in the quarter, which MC converted into 12 points. Despite a brief scoring response from CBU, the Blue and Gold maintained control. Collier contributed with a pair of key free throws and a jumper to extend the lead, and sent the Blue and Gold into the intermission up 37-23.
MC expanded their lead with a strong third quarter performance, highlighted by efficient scoring from Coleman and Sketoe. Coleman scored early with a jumper, while Sketoe contributed with a layup and an assist to McFall's jumper, pushing the score to 43-25. Olawoyin added to the momentum with a three-point play at 6:45, extending the lead to 46-25. Despite the Bucs' attempts to close the gap, MC maintained control, finishing the third quarter with a 57-32 advantage.
Sketoe knocked down a pair of treys, extending their lead in the fourth period.
Channing Lane added to the momentum with a jumper at 2:54, as the Blue and Gold capitalized on turnovers, scoring seven points off visitor errors. CBU struggled with their shooting, making just four field goals in the quarter.
Alice Conrad led the Red and Black with 12 points, converting 5 of 13 field goal attempts, and grabbed eight rebounds.
MC returns to GSC action on Saturday, Dec. 6 as it hosts No. 22 Union University. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.
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