Milligan’s Women’s basketball secured a solid win over St. Andrews University on Tuesday while the Men’s team just barely lost the matchup against Union College on Thursday.
The women finished with a 20 point lead (86-66), moving them to a record of 7-11 (7-8 conference) and eighth in Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) standings. Freshman Jaycie Jenkins and sophomore Stacia Wilson both scored double digits in the first half, giving the Lady Buffs a 47-26 lead at the break.
“I feel like we just had a good feeling coming into this game,” says Junior Lily Griffith. “Especially with having everyone back from quarantine we knew we could go out and get this win.”
Senior Bailey Berry sank a 3-pointer to start off the second half, and Junior Hannah Wyrick tallied 14 points to keep up the momentum. Six other Buffs also made their way onto the scoreboard to lock in the win.
“I feel everyone really stepped up this game and contributed to get this win!” says Griffith.
With the win over St. Andrews, the women will continue their season with a two game win streak and no intentions of breaking it.
“Looking ahead at the schedule, I feel like we definitely could continue our winning streak on the road this next game,” says Griffith.
The Lady Buffs will travel to Reinhardt for their next game at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
Men’s basketball had a less successful week as they fell to Union 84-77 after a hard fought game.
Sophomore Levontae Knox racked up a career high of 22 points while graduate student David Tripp collected 18 as the team made strong efforts to overcome Union late in the second half. Junior Trevor Hensley and Sophomore Jackson Gabriel both hit 3-pointers to help narrow Union’s lead to single digits.
“I feel like everyone that played tonight was a key player in some aspect,” says Gabriel. “Everyone gave everything they had.”
Despite their efforts, the Buffs’ struggles came as this was their first game back from a two week break due to COVID-19. With some players still recovering, a limited roster may have contributed to the loss. However, they still proved to be tough competition for Union.
“We really had nothing to lose so we just fought our hardest,” says Gabriel. “Considering we had eight total guys dressed tonight and we only lost by six, we feel pleased with our performance tonight as a team.”
The Buffs’ recent loss to Union puts them at 5-6 for the season (5-5 conference) and eighth in AAC standings as they travel to Reinhardt University for a 4 p.m. game on Saturday.
Headline photo: Junior Alex Inman scored a career high of six points against Union.