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VALDOSTA, Ga. – The UWF women's basketball team had four players in double figures as it claimed a season-opening 66-62 win over Eckerd at the Complex on the campus of Valdosta State University Friday.
UWF (1-0) shot 41 percent in the game, with 6-of-14 from 3-point range and held a 36-27 edge on the glass. The Argonauts were also strong at the free throw line, making 26-of-37.
"I was impressed by the way we came out of the gate," UWF head coach
Stephanie Lawrence Yelton said. "We shot the ball really well in the first half. We had a little bit of deflation in the third quarter and Eckerd punched us in the mouth. The team came together and was able pull it out down the stretch so that was good to see in the opener."
Junior
Toni Brewer collected a double-double with 15 points and 16 rebounds, while adding a pair of steals. Sophomore
Katie O'Neal was 5-of-7 from outside and finished with a game-high 17 points. Her makes and points were each one shy of tying her career high.
Freshman
Imani Mulmore scored 15 points in her first collegiate game. The rookie from New Orleans used her driving ability to draw contact throughout the game, resulting in 15 trips to the charity stripe where she connected on 11 attempts. Senior
Alex Coyne had 11 points, four assists and four steals.
UWF raced out to a 16-6 lead midway through the first quarter before ending the frame on an 8-2 run. O'Neal was on fire in the period, making four of her game-high five 3-pointers.
The run carried over into the second quarter in the form of a 9-2 stretch that saw UWF claim a 33-13 lead for its largest advantage of the contest. All told, UWF had a 17-4 run over 9:00 of clock time.
In the third quarter, Eckerd (0-1) used its toughness to create more turnovers and get in the passing lines to chip away at the UWF lead. The Tritons outscored the Argos 25-14 in the third with UWF only able to make three field goals on nine shots. UWF maintained its lead thanks to 8-of-10 at the line.
Eckerd took its only lead of the game with 5:26 left in the fourth on a 3-pointer, but UWF got four points and a steal from Brewer to regain the momentum. The Tritons had a chance to tie the game in the final four seconds but a long shot by Victoria Vine was off target.
Ashley Folson had 12 points and three rebounds to lead the Tritons. EC shot 39 percent in the game. It was held to 31 percent in the first hald.
UWF will conclude its road trip on Saturday when it faces Albany State at The Complex. Tipoff is set for 11:00 am Central time.
