FORT VALLEY, GA – Senior forward
Shekiya Tarpkins led Fort Valley State University Lady Wildcats basketball team in scoring with a game-high 30 points while breaking a four game losing streak in the victory over Western Division foe Tuskegee University 77-65 Saturday night at the HPE Complex.
The Lady Wildcat improve their overall record to 7-15 and 6-7 in SIAC play. Tuskegee dropped to 10-13 overall and 5-8 in conference play.
Tarpkins made 13-of-24 shots from the field, three 3-pointers, nine rebounds, three assist and three steals. Freshman point guard
Daknequa White followed up with 22 points of her own and senior center
Briunca Caldwell grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds and eight points. Freshman forward
Alexia Green added nine boards and six points, while freshman guard
Nola Carter pulled down seven rebounds. FVSU managed to out rebound TU 47-31, while forcing 16 turnovers.
White scored the first points for the Lady Wildcats 2-0 and TU's Taylor Miller put the Lady Tigers ahead with a 3-point basket 3-2. Carter's free throws gave FVSU an eight point (16-8) advantage at the 4:18 mark. Both teams traded blows until FVSU's Green's two point jumper made it 24-12 to end the first quarter. The second quarter was much of the same; Tarpkins's 3-pointer added to FVSU's lead 27-12. Green's jumper with 2:49 on the clock gave FVSU a 40-23 lead. The Lady Wildcats hit the 17 point mark a couple of times before going into halftime up 45-28.
Coming out of the locker room FVSU had a commanding lead and maintained a double digit lead throughout the third and fourth quarter. The Lady Wildcats ended the third quarter up 66-45. The fourth quarter looked know better for the Lady Tigers as they finished the game down 77-65.
FVSU shot 49.9 % (31-of-69) from the field in 40 minutes of play, 27.3 % (6-of-22) 3-pointers and a hot 81.8 % (9-of-11) from the free throw line. Tuskegee hit 19-of-55 (34.5 %) from the floor, 5-of-16 (31.3 %) from behind the arc and made 22-of-31 (71.0 %) from the foul line.
The Lady Wildcats final home game is Senior Night on Monday, February 13 as Miles College come to the Valley. Game time is 6 pm.
