COLUMBUS, Miss. - Junior guard Conley Langford's (Calhoun City, Miss.) monster double-double game propelled the Mississippi University for Women to its second-consecutive St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) win, dispatching of Eureka College, 89-76, at Pohl Gym. The Owls climbed above .500 in the SLIAC, at 3-2 (4-5 overall), while the Red Devils slipped to 4-9 overall (2-4 in the SLIAC).
 
Langford scored an MUW season-high 36 points and also matched her own personal career high with 22 rebounds. Langford was 10-of-19 from the floor and made good on 15-of-16 free throw tries, after drawing 13 fouls from Eureka players on her own. She also had two assists and two steals, while committing just one turnover.
 
Langford's huge effort was her 10th career double-double game as an Owl. She has scored in double figures in all nine games, thus far, for MUW in 2023-24 and has a string of 17 contests in double-digit scoring, going back to last season. The 36 points was Langford's second-highest total with The W, bested only by her 43 points in the 2022-23 season finale versus Warren Wilson College on Feb. 11, 2023.
 
"Conley had one of the best performances today that I've ever seen," Owls' Head Coach Drew Johnson said. "Aside from her scoring, which by itself is notable, her ability to dominate the glass from the shooting guard position is truly special, and I hope that people are able to watch and appreciate her performances. Young players could learn a lot by watching her and how she plays the game. You can't find a better example of a player who gives maximum effort at all times and displays the indomitable will to do whatever it takes to win."
 
Perhaps a bit overshadowed by Langford's numbers – but certainly not lost – was another strong game from Zoe Essary, who booked 19 points on a 7-of-18 shooting afternoon. Essary dished off a team-leading five assists, pulled down five rebounds, made two steals, and blocked a shot.
 
Fellow Newcomer Claire Leak was MUW's third double-figure scorer with 14 points. Leak corralled six rebounds, as well.
 
Freshman Darby Pitts narrowly missed giving the Owls another member with 10-plus points, by tallying nine points, buoyed by a 2-for-4 day from beyond the arc.
 
The Owls held a slim 43-41 advantage at the intermission, but extended that cushion in each of the final two quarters to finish with the 13-point win.
 
The W will look to extend its SLIAC win skein next Thursday (Jan. 11/4:30 p.m. CT) when it travels to Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky.