CIU no Match for (RV) Milligan Women's Hoops inside Steve Lacy Fieldhouse

MILLIGAN, Tenn. – On Saturday afternoon, the (RV) Milligan University women's basketball squad continued their Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) slate at home versus the Columbia International University Rams. The Buffs dominated the home contest by a score of 87-39.  

The Buffs held a commanding lead after the first quarter, by a score of 22-14, while shooting a solid 50% from the field. It was the lone period of the game in which the Rams also shot the ball with any efficiency, as they converted on 7-of-13 from the field. 

A dominant second quarter on the defensive end saw the Buffs win the quarter by a score of 20-4 holding CIU to 11.8% from the field. Milligan's 8-of-18 mark from the floor led to an increased 42-18 halftime lead. 

Coming out of the half, the defensive dominance continued from Milligan, as they were able to force eight turnovers in the third quarter alone. They relied on scoring inside the arc in this one, especially in the third quarter, as they held a 63-29 lead going into the fourth.  

The highest scoring quarter came in the fourth, as the Buffaloes scored 24. They also allowed just a 4-of-14 shooting line to the Rams to coast to their eventual 87-39 triumph. 

The Buffs were led in scoring by Jaycie Jenkins, as she tallied 25 points, going 10-16 from the field. Lauren Longmire would add 17 points of her own, while going 7-11 from the field. Those two players were the only two in double-figures in scoring. 

Lina Lyon and Jenna Hare tied for the team lead in assists with four each, while Semaj Clark and Tessa Gibson had three apiece. Kenzie Campbell had two, while Longmire, McKenna Myers and Nina Lovelace had the last three. 

Clark was atop the roster in rebounds, snagging six. Jenkins, Lyon and Campbell added five each, with Renna Lane providing four.  Myers, Gibson and Naomi Atchley had three boards, as Longmire, Lovelace, Hare and Lexi Ervin hauled in two each. Caroline Krueger and Sabrina Espele snatched the remaining two. 

The squad had 17 steals and two blocks in the victory, snuffing out any offensive efforts by the Rams. Myers showed up strong with four steals, while both Jenkins and Clark had two steals and a block. Gibson, Campbell and Hare all had a pair of takeaways, as Lyon, Lane and Ervin supplied the other three.  

After increasing their record to 15-2 within the AAC, the Lady Buffs will hit the road on Wednesday, Feb. 5 for a road conference tilt at Bryan College in Dayton, Tenn. Tipoff is slated for 5:30 p.m.