FORT VALLEY, GA – It was senior night in the valley with family and friends in the stands, but the Fort Valley State University women's basketball team could not pull the game out, as they dropped a 70-54 decision to Miles College Monday night at the HPE Complex.
 
The Lady Wildcats fell to 7-16 on the season and 6-8 in conference play. Miles moved up to 11-12 overall and 6-7 in the SIAC.
 
Senior forward Shekiya Tarpkins led the Lady Wildcats in scoring with 18 points and a team high eight rebounds. She scored on 6-of-15 buckets, made 6-of-8 free throws, dished out three assists and one steal. Freshman guard Nola Carter added 11 points and senior center Briunca Caldwell grabbed seven rebounds. The Lady Bears led in team rebounds with 44 to FVSU's 38. Both teams finished with 21 turnovers apiece. The Lady Wildcats scored 19 points off turnovers and 22 points in the paint.
 
Ashley McCrear led MC with a game-high 32 points and Morgan Hardy had 13 rebounds. Larian Scott added 18 points.  
 
Tarpkins scored the first basket off a layup 2-0, and then MC's Larian Scott hit a three giving MC the 3-2 lead. After tying the game several times, MC took the lead at the 7:49 mark and never looked back to end the first quarter up by 11 (21-10). In the second quarter, MC went on a 7-0 (28-10) run, before Tarpkins broke FVSU's drought with a free throw. MC increased their lead to 31-11 with 5:53 left until halftime and went to the half up 36-20.
 
Third quarter, Tarpkins two steals and two fast breaks cut MC's lead to 44-32 with 4:52 on the clock. Victoria Sutton's layup put MC's lead back at 16 (50-34). Nola Carter made the score 50-38 to end the quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Lady Wildcats managed to get as close as seven (52-45) with 7:52 left in the game. The Lady Bears stretched the lead to 69-49, while ending the game by 16 (70-54). 
 
FVSU next and final game of the season is Saturday, February 18 in Albany as they play Albany State University in a 6 pm game.