Women’s basketball suffers defeat in season opener

PIKEVILLE, Ky. (Nov. 1, 2019) – Emily Kiser and Kaely Gose both went to double figures in the season opener, but the Milligan College women's basketball team lost to Pikeville University, 86-65, Friday afternoon to open the season.

Kiser finished with a game high 16 points while Gose scored 11 points and added nine rebounds. Eight other Buffs entered the scoring column, including Lauren Baxter who scored nine on 3-for-3 shooting from the 3-point line.

Milligan had only one lead, after Kiser scored the first point of the 2019-20 season to make it 1-0, before an 8-0 run by Pikeville put the Bears into the lead for good. It was a 12-point game at the end of the first quarter and an 18-point game at the half. Pikeville led by as many as 22 prior to the break then built a lead of as many as 27 in the third and fourth quarters. Milligan closed the game on a 17-11 run which included an 8-0 run midway through the fourth.

Other notable Buffs in the box score included junior transfer Malarie Tallent, who scored six points off the bench in her debut as a Buff, junior Cali Weddle, who scored five points and added eight rebounds, and freshman guard Kayla Romines, who scored three points on one field goal attempt in 12 minutes on the court.

Up next, Milligan has a quick turnaround and will play Shawnee State Saturday at 10 a.m. at Pikeville. The Buffs will then come home for the first time Wednesday, Nov. 6, at 5:30 p.m. against Bluefield College for the Appalachian Athletic Conference opener.