MOBILE, Ala. – The Wildcats finished the third quarter strong as their Saturday highlight. Fort Valley State started and ended slow and had a tough end to its November schedule as it fell, 62-42, against Spring Hill College in women's basketball.
Trailing 50-33 with 2:58 left in the third frame, the Wildcats' Aaniyah Allen netted the final five points of the quarter and Camryn Oneill laid in a bucket starting the fourth and pulled within 10 points, 50-40. Unfortunately, Ja'Nya Ferguson's layup with 6:23 left in the contest was the final FVSU points as Spring Hill College recorded a 12-2 run over the final eight minutes of play.
The FVSU (2-4/0-3 SIAC East) loss was the first in the series against Spring Hill (2-4/1-0 SIAC West) in four years since Dec. 16 of 2021 in a 70-66 overtime final.
Ferguson posted the Wildcats' first double-double of the year with 5 of 8 shooting for 10 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. Despite not scoring in the first and fourth quarters, Allen led the visiting scorers with 15 points, including two 3-pointers, and five rebounds.
Oneill was the only other FVSU starters to score other than Allen and netted four points to go with two boards and two assists. Taylor Addison drained two treys for six points and handed out two assists. Brionna Booker chipped in four points and grabbed five caroms, while Kimora Wade added three points and two assists.
Kellyn Hunter paced the Badgers with 28 points.
Down 4-0 in the opening minutes, Booker made the first FVSU basket for what would be the closest her team would get in the game at 4-2. Addison finished the first frame with a trey for a 15-7 score.
Allen scored the Wildcats' first five points of the second 10 minutes and cut the margin to 16-12. Wade made a free throw for a 21-15 score at 6:52 before the Badgers netted the next seven points. Oneill and Ferguson made back-to-back buckets in the final 2:49 of the half for the final time FVSU was within less than double figures, 29-21.
FVSU will remain in Alabama where it will play on Monday evening, Dec. 2, in a 5:30 p.m. CST/6:30 p.m. EST tip at Miles College.
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