Women’s Basketball continues win streak with a victory over Lagrange

LAGRANGE, Ga. (Dec. 7, 2022) - The Point University women's basketball team returned to the court Wednesday afternoon for a non-conference game against Lagrange College and came out with the victory with a final score of 60-43. 

Sheyvonne Owens started the game with a scored layup to give the Skyhawks their first lead of the game until the Panthers tied it at two. Marta Gimenez returned the favor with a strong take to the paint to give Point another made basket. Both teams continued to settle into the game by trading baskets with hopes of a run that could set the tone for the rest of the game. Ananda Hughley's jump shot helped the Skyhawks build the lead they needed to control the game. Ky'Leo Worriels entered the game with a strong presence in the paint as she scored her first layup to push Point's lead to 12-8 with 2:19 left in the first period. Hughley scored the next two baskets, followed by a strong layup in the paint from Worriels to help Point take a 10-point lead going into the second quarter. 

Ky'Leo Worriels continued to stay consistent in the paint by scoring the second-period basket to bring the score to 20-8. Lagrange looked to find their way on the offensive end in hopes of ending their cold stretch, but the defense of Point would prove too much as the Panthers did not score their first basket in the quarter until the 5:51 mark. As the Skyhawks continued to hold their commanding lead, Ananda Hughley made the Panthers' defensive possessions harder as she scored another layup to give Point their biggest lead of 16. Chinedu Nnadi's court vision was displayed as she connected with Sheyvonne Owens in the paint for another scored layup to bring the score 28-14. As the Quarter neared the end, Marta Gimenez added fuel to the fire with a three-pointer, and on the last offensive possession before the half Ky'Leo Worriels finished off with a layup. 

The Panthers started the third quarter with the first basket as Jada Strickland pushed her way through the defense of Point for the strong take. Mataea Boyd's made free throws gave the Skyhawks their first score of the quarter. Ananda Hughley brought the Skyhawks' lead to 20 points after she knocked down the three-point shot. Ky'Leo Worriels proved that her strong first half was not a fluke as she scored another layup in the paint. Point continued to fire away with made baskets as Hughley made the mid-range jumper, followed by two threes from Marta Gimenez to bring the score to 50-23. Dominque Cooke entered the fray with her quickness to breeze by the Panthers' defense for the layup. 

Point's offensive firepower was cooled off at the beginning of the fourth quarter as the Skyhawks did not score their first basket until Destinee Ellison's layup at the 4:29 mark. Point continued to hold their lead with defensive stops as Kyra Hart came off the bench with many steals. Ky'Leo Worriels added another back-to-the-basket layup for the Skyhawks, which was followed by a made jumper from Kyra Hart. Point continued to keep their foot on the gas until the final buzzer as Destinee Ellison crept into the passing lane for the steal, which resulted in a made layup for her. As the final buzzer sounded, the Panthers finished with a final basket from Laila Battle to end with a final score of 60-43. 

In the box 

Ky'Leo Worriels led the Skyhawks with a double-double ending with 14 points and 10 rebounds. This marked the second consecutive game with Worriels having double-digit rebounds. Ananda Hughley followed with 13 points, five rebounds and one block. Sheyvonne Owens contributed 11 points and nine rebounds on the evening. Marta Gimenez also finished with 11 points, two steals and two assists. 

Coach's Quote 

Head Coach Tory Wooley was happy with the all-around team play from the crew and enjoyed another dominant game on the glass. "Today's game was a great team win against a competitive LaGrange team. I thought we got great post-play with Ananda, Shey, and Ky'Leo. Our players did an outstanding job dominating the glass which gave us extra possessions. It was great being able to play a "cross town" opponent in LaGrange College, and Coach Jonus and hope to possibly start a tradition of playing each other."  

Up next 

The Skyhawks will return to action for an AAC showdown against St. Andrew's University on Saturday, Dec. 10 starting at 2:00 P.M.