Lady Marauders Fall Short to Lane College in 61-58 Thriller

In a tightly contested Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) matchup on January 11, 2025, the Central State Lady Marauders were narrowly defeated by Lane College, 61-58. Despite a late-game surge, Central State couldn't overcome an early deficit, ultimately falling to 7-6 overall and 6-2 in conference play.

Abbi Peterson Shines Despite the Loss

Abbi Peterson was named the Le Reve Massage and Facial Player of the Game for her standout performance, scoring 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. Peterson also added 4 rebounds and 2 assists in just 22 minutes, providing the Lady Marauders with a much-needed offensive spark, particularly in the second half.

Despite Peterson's excellent play, the Lady Marauders struggled with their shooting, particularly in the first half, which proved to be costly in the end. Central State shot just 20% in the opening quarter, finishing with a 37.7% overall shooting percentage for the game.

Lane College's Balanced Attack

Lane College was led by Breonna Carey, who scored 20 points and grabbed 3 rebounds. Carey's performance was instrumental in Lane's ability to control the game, especially in the early stages. Teammates Dyani Bernstine and Taylor Lattimore also contributed solid performances, scoring 8 and 12 points respectively. Lattimore helped keep the momentum going for Lane, particularly in the fourth quarter, where they outscored Central State 19-25.

Lane's defense was key to their success as they forced the Lady Marauders into 18 turnovers, turning those miscues into 19 points. The Dragons also controlled the paint, scoring 36 points inside, and got significant contributions from their bench, which outscored Central State's 46-30.

A Tale of Two Halves

The game started poorly for the Lady Marauders, as they managed just 7 points in the first quarter, falling behind 16-7. Lane capitalized on Central State's slow start, holding the Lady Marauders to just 3 field goals in the first 10 minutes. The second quarter wasn't much better for Central State, as they shot just 6-of-14 from the field and entered halftime trailing by 13, 25-12.

However, Central State showed grit in the second half. A 15-point third quarter kept them within striking distance, and a solid 25-point fourth quarter gave the Lady Marauders hope. Despite their best efforts, including a strong 8-of-15 shooting performance in the final frame, they could not overcome the deficit.

Bench Contributions and Late Push

Samara Savoy led the bench with 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting, while Diamond Phillips added 5 points and 2 assists. In the final minutes, the Lady Marauders cut the lead to just 3 points, but a couple of crucial missed opportunities and turnovers prevented them from completing the comeback.

In contrast, Lane's depth proved valuable, as their bench added 46 points to Central State's 30. Lane also capitalized on second-chance opportunities, scoring 8 points off offensive rebounds, while Central State could only muster 3. The Lady Marauders look to regroup quickly when they take on Miles College on Monday January 13th at 5:30pm at home.  

Story by: Brad Kocher