JACKSON, Miss. – The W women's basketball team came out like gangbusters versus Belhaven University, but could not hold its early advantage in a 103-78 loss in the Millsaps Fall Classic. The contest was the opener for both the Owls (0-1) and Blazers (1-0) at the Hanger Dome.
And both teams exhibited the symptoms of "
first game-itis," with a combined 58 turnovers (32 by the Owls) and 62 fouls (33 by BU). That resulted in
each team having 106 possessions for the evening and 112 aggregate rebounds; 61 by the Blazers and 51 for MUW.
The by-product of so many fouls was free throws – 89 of them in total, to be exact – which also equated to lots of clock stoppage and a lengthy game. The Owls hit 31-of 48 (65%) from the charity stripe, while Belhaven converted 27-of-41 (66%).
MUW held a 24-18 lead after the opening quarter, leading by as much as 14-3 early on. BU began to chip away and trailed the Owls by a single point at the half, 47-46. The Blazers stayed hot into the second half, overtaking MUW and leading, 70-64, by the end of the third period. The fourth stanza saw The W connect on just 2-of-16 field goals and get outscored by a 33-14 count to end the game.
MUW newcomer
Fantasia Wilson had a colorful debut, scoring a team-leading 21 points. Wilson was just 4-13 from the floor, but drained 13-of-18 free throw tries. She also grabbed five rebounds, dished off three assists and had three steals on her ledger.
Post player
Mia Bowen, another Owl making her debut, set a school single-game record with seven blocked shot (erasing the previous mark of six by
Maddie Guerin versus Millsaps in November of 2021). She finished with 19 points on a 6-12 night from the field and was 7-for-12 from the free throw line, while hauling in six rebounds, as well.
Freshman
Jakayla Smith – a New Hope High School product – booked nine points in her college debut, to go along with five rebounds and a game-leading five steals. Fifth-year senior
Conley Langford added eight points and a team-best seven rebounds, along with three assists. Freshman
Trinity Hamilton also registered eight points in the loss.
The W will next face host Millsaps College on Saturday (November 8) at 3 p.m.
