FORT VALLEY, Ga. – The Wildcats started what they hope is another win streak Monday evening. Fort Valley State rode early success and mixed it with solid defense for a 55-43 women's basketball victory over Talladega College.

FVSU never trailed as Aaniyah Allen sank game's first points 1:39 into the contest with a pair of free throws. After a Tornadoes bucket, the Wildcats ran off the next nine unanswered points and failed to led by fewer than the same margin over the final 33:35. FVSU (11-8) forced 34 Talladega turnovers with 17 steals to cause half of them.

Forward Ayani Cockrell paced the winning home effort with 14 points on 3 of 5 shooting and 8 of 11 free throws, while she made it a double-double with 10 rebounds and swiped three passes. Ace Stevenson recorded a career-high 12 points and grabbed two boards. Allen chipped in an all-around game of nine points, seven caroms, five steals and four assists. Camryn Oneill and Cori Barnes rounded out the stats with six tallies apiece.

With the 11th win of the season, FVSU completes the season sweep of the future SIAC foe after it took the road win (67-47) at Talladega on Jan. 8

Makayla Arnold finished with top honors for Talladega with 11 points.

Leading 19-9 after a visitors' free throw with 4:58 in the second period, FVSU pushed the margin to 18 points, 27-9, with eights points in a row capped by a Cockrell 3-point play. The home intermission advantage stood at 27-12.

The Tornadoes cut the margin down to 31-20 four minutes into the second half, but Stevenson scored two buckets of six home scores in a row to make it 37-20. After the difference was cut to nine, 46-37, with 4:20 remaining, the Wildcats received a pair of Stevenson free throws and another layup sealed the win and pushed it back to a 14-point advantage, 51-37.

FVSU stays at home where it will host Benedict College this Saturday afternoon, Feb. 10, in a 1 p.m. tip-off for Senior Day.

-Wildcats-