FORT VALLEY, Ga. – Fort Valley State University Women's Basketball (2-15, 2-13 SIAC) dropped a 92-65 decision to Miles College (17-4, 15-2 SIAC) Friday afternoon.
Miles set the tone early and never relinquished control, building momentum in the opening quarter and maintaining separation throughout the contest.
The Bears opened the game with the first four points before
India McIntosh got the Wildcats on the board with a layup at the 8:22 mark of the first quarter. Fort Valley State briefly knotted the score at four following a basket from
Kimora Wade, but Miles answered with authority. A decisive 14-2 run midway through the period pushed the Bears' advantage into double figures, capped by consecutive three-pointers. Despite late free throws from
Akirya Robinson, Fort Valley State trailed 23-8 at the end of the first quarter.
Miles continued to control the tempo in the second quarter, extending the lead to as many as 24 points.
Marley Bell connected from beyond the arc early in the period, while Wade and
Aaniyah Allen added transition buckets to spark brief scoring pushes for the Wildcats. Each run was met with an answer, however, as Miles capitalized on perimeter shooting and fastbreak opportunities. Fort Valley State closed the half with a pair of layups, but the Bears entered the break ahead 50-26.
The Wildcats showed renewed energy coming out of halftime. Wade opened the third quarter at the free-throw line, and
Reya Johnson knocked down a fastbreak three to trim the deficit to 54-31. Fort Valley State continued to push the pace behind baskets from Wade,
Grace East, and Bell, but Miles responded with another extended run to push the lead past 30. The Bears carried a 71-42 advantage into the final period.
Fort Valley State continued to compete down the stretch. McIntosh opened the fourth quarter with a layup, followed by a three from East to cut the margin to 26. Wade scored on consecutive fastbreak layups midway through the quarter, and Allen added a three as the Wildcats looked to chip away. Miles countered with consistent interior scoring and second-chance points to maintain separation, closing out the 92-65 victory.
Wade led the Wildcats with a standout performance, scoring 26 points on an efficient 10-for-13 shooting from the floor while going 6-for-11 at the free-throw line. Allen and Bell each added nine points, with Bell pulling down a team-high 12 rebounds. Bell also led the Wildcats with two blocked shots, while McIntosh contributed 10 rebounds.
The Wildcats return to action on Tuesday, January 27, hosting Albany State University for Winter Homecoming. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.
