Contributed Report

MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (Jan. 10, 2015) – Season-high rebounding and career-high scoring earned the Milligan College women’s basketball team another conference win 66-54 against Bluefield College on Saturday afternoon.

The Buffaloes improved to 4-13 overall, earning another Appalachian Athletic conference win to bring them to 3-6 in a quite contested lead. Milligan currently sits tied with St. Andrews for eighth, but they are only one game out of sixth place and three games out of fifth, a spot currently occupied by Bryan College who is receiving votes in the national poll.

Though the Buffs started the first minute with three turnovers and a five-point deficit, the game from there was theirs. After a timeout from Head Coach Rich Aubrey, Milligan scored five straight 3-pointers to go on a 17-3 run, taking the lead that they would never relinquish.

The Lady Rams worked to keep the game close throughout the first half, but Lindsee Price never gave them a second chance on any shots they made, earning seven rebounds in the first half. Milligan only allowed 12 total offensive rebounds in the game while taking a season high of 55 rebounds, 33 of which came from the defense.

The second half was all Milligan. Just before the midpoint of the second half, the Buffs extended their lead to 16 off of three shots from in the paint and three corresponding and-ones. From there, the Milligan lead never dropped below 10 points, ending with the final score of 66-54.

Hayley Wyrick scored a career-high 28 points in the matchup, adding seven rebounds and an assist. Her previous career high was 26, which she accomplished twice last season and most recently in the second game of this season against Asbury University.

“With the nature of our team, Haley is taking on a little more of the scoring burden, and we kind of anticipated she would be ready and able to do that,” commented Aubrey. “The thing that I am pleased about is that she keeps improving in other areas of the game. There are still things she needs to do to be better, but she works incredibly hard and obviously she’s really tough-minded. She has that mindset that when we need a basket, very often she finds a way for us to get a basket, whether she scores or creates one for somebody else.”

Senior Chelsey Weddle brought home her fourth double-double this season, leading the Buffs with 10 rebounds and scoring 13 points. Callie Cox scored nine points, adding five assists with no turnovers for Milligan.

The Lady Rams had three players who scored over 10 points, including Maryah Mazyck who earned her second double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Shelby Key scored 10 of her own while adding three steals for Bluefield.

The Buffs will travel to Montreat College on Wednesday, Jan. 14 to take on the Cavaliers who have lost their last seven games. Milligan will then return home on Saturday, Jan. 17 to the Steve Lacy Fieldhouse to face off against Point University in a doubleheader with the men’s team. Game time is set for 2 p.m.

 

Bluefield          25          29          –          54

Milligan           29          37          –          66

Bluefield – Smith 16, Mazyck 14, Key 10, Goodlet 5, Peck 5, McDaniel 3, Wolford 1.

Milligan – Wyrick 28, Weddle 13, Cox 9, Price 5, Jones 5, Wilson 2, Barnett 2, Cain 2.