COLUMBUS, Miss. – After a slow start to 2024-25 – with a new head coach and many new faces – The W women's basketball looks to be hitting its stride, as evidenced by its third-straight St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) victory, topping Eureka College, 88-81, at Pohl Gym. The win has the Owls (4-11, 3-5 SLIAC) tied for the sixth (and final) spot for the SLIAC tourney, after dispatching of the current No. 5 Red Devils (8-7, 4-4 SLIAC).
 
As has been the case for much of the season, it was the trio of Calysia Phillips, Claire Leak, and Conley Langford doing much of the damage. Those three players combined for 75 of MUW's 88 points and were responsible for all 11 of the Owls' three-point baskets made.
 
"Despite numerous mental mistakes I believe that, as a team, we played a fantastic game overall," Phillips said. "We executed well; we didn't let the fact that they were scoring and playing effectively stop us. Even when we were feeling low, we encouraged one another.
 
"The squad is finally coming together and playing as a team, though we still have work to do. I think I had a great game, but I still have space for improvement. By driving and kicking out, I'm improving my free throw skills and involving my teammates."
 
Phillips had her best offensive game as a part of The W, pouring in a game-high 32 points. Phillips went 10-for-22 from the field – including 2-of-6 from beyond the arc – and converted 10-of-14 from the free throw stripe. She also produced the game's top totals with six assists and three steals.
 
 
Leak matched her MUW career high of 26 points – also accomplished on February 3, 2024 and also versus Eureka – by hitting 9-of-17 shots and 6-of-11 from three-point range. Like Phillips, Leak had a nice all-around effort by hauling in six rebounds and dishing off five assists.
 
Langford booked 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds, as she inched closer to her 1,000th career point (she now has 993 in her two-plus seasons as an Owl).
 
The W held a 47-37 advantage on the glass, thanks to a game-leading 12 caroms by Reshya Hudson.
 
The contest featured 12 lead changes and eight ties, with The W taking control for good at the 6:03 juncture of the fourth quarter on a three-ball from Leak. TK Jones gave her team a seven-point cushion, 76-69, when she canned a short jumper at the 3:34 mark.
 
But the Red Devils would not disappear. Twice in the final two minutes, Eureka got to within a single possession, only to be answered by a trey from Langford to rebuff each Red Devil bucket and extend the Owls' margin once again.
 
Next up for The W is a date at Greenville University next Thursday (Jan. 23/5:30 p.m.).
COLUMBUS, Miss. – A strong effort up-and-down its lineup propelled The W men's basketball to its fourth-consecutive victory in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) by knocking off Eureka College, 75-67, in overtime. The Owls' (8-7, 5-3 SLIAC) win over the Red Devils (3-12, 2-6 SLIAC) boosted the team above the .500 mark for the first time since November 26, 2023.
 
All nine players appearing in the game for Head Coach Dean Burrows managed to score. Five of those individuals had nine or more points.
 
MUW took the lead in the first half with 1:34 left in the stanza and carried a 27-23 lead into the halftime locker room. The Owls held the upper hand most of the second half, that is until the final 14 seconds of the period. Leading by 11 points with 2:19 left in regulation after an Eric Bass Jr. jumper, The W saw its advantage erode thanks to a 12-1 run by Eureka to close out the second period in a 58-58 tie.
 
In the overtime period, Eureka got the first point on a free throw, but MUW reeled off the next eight points unanswered to lead 66-59 with less than a minute left. The W converted 11-of-14 free throws in the five-minute OT segment, alone, to ice the win.
 
Bass Jr. led MUW with 16 points off of the bench. Bass Jr. hit 4-of-9 field goals and was 8-for-10 from the charity stripe. He drew a game-leading seven fouls by EC players in his 35 minutes of action.
 
Jackson Reid made good on 4-of-7 shots from the floor – two from long distance – and hit all four of his free throws on his way to a 14-point afternoon. Tyson Smithey also hit double-digit scoring off the Owls' bench, finishing with 11 points. Smithey had two blocks, as did teammate Cam Smith.
 
Fifth-year seniors Chris Evans and Dariun Doss each booked nine points. Doss added a game-high 10 rebounds, while Evans had a larcenous three steals.
 
The MUW bench players outscored the Red Devil reserves by a 35-to-20 point differential.
 
The W will look to extend its win skein next Thursday (Jan. 23/7:30 p.m.) at Greenville University.