Central State Women's Basketball Edges Out Fort Valley State in a Tight 49-46 Victory
In a hard-fought battle at Beacom/Lewis Gym on Thursday evening, the Central State University women's basketball team overcame Fort Valley State 49-46 in their Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) opener.
Central State (2-0, 1-0 SIAC) built an early lead with strong first-half performances, leading 18-10 after the first quarter and 33-20 at halftime. However, Fort Valley State (1-1, 0-1 SIAC) mounted a second-half rally, closing the gap in the third quarter to 40-33, and continued to fight in the fourth to make it a one-possession game late.
Central State's defense played a key role in staving off the comeback, forcing 16 turnovers while holding Fort Valley State to just 25.4% shooting for the game. The Lady Marauders also dominated in the paint, outscoring the Lady Wildcats 26-14 inside.
Key contributors for Central State included Jacquel Bronaugh, who led the team with 9 points and 9 rebounds, and Ma'Kayla Williams, who chipped in 9 points and 3 assists.Â
For Fort Valley State, Aaniyah Allen had a standout performance, scoring a game-high 16 points on 6-of-19 shooting. However, the Lady Wildcats struggled with their shooting, finishing the game at just 25.4% from the field and 20% from three-point range. Their efforts were hampered in the fourth quarter, where they shot just 7.7% from the field (1-13).
While Central State's shooting was not stellar, their defense, coupled with solid free-throw shooting in the final minutes (7-12 in the fourth quarter), helped them secure the win.
The game ended with a final score of 49-46, as Central State improved to 2-0 on the season, while Fort Valley State fell to 1-1.
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Photo by Azy Jordan
