COLUMBIA, S.C. — The
Allen University women's basketball team overcame a seven-point halftime deficit to take down rival
Benedict in the "Battle for Taylor Street" Saturday, 76-72.
The SIAC clash saw a competitive game throughout, with 11 total lead changes and three ties. In the first quarter, both Allen and Benedict exchanged made shots as seven different Yellow Jackets found the scorebook, with
Peighton Jambor, Kasey Smith,
Eboni Clay,
Taliah Wesley,
Amoni Byrd,
Morgan Smith, and
JuJu Harrington all scoring in the first.
After trailing by one point, 19-18, at the end of the first quarter, Allen saw the deficit they faced grow in the second quarter as Benedict took a 40-33 lead into the halftime break. However, the Yellow Jackets came out of the locker rooms with their offense recharged as Allen outscored Benedict, 22-16, in the third quarter and brought themselves back within one point of the Tigers' advantage, 56-55.
The fourth began in a defensive battle as neither team scored in the first 2:30 of the quarter. Then, with 7:28 remaining, Wesley connected on a layup to push Allen ahead, 57-56. The score marked Allen's first lead since 1:52 was left in the second, 33-32.
After exchanging the lead over the next two minutes, Allen finally surged ahead permanently with 5:14 remaining on a Jambor jump shot, 61-60. With nine seconds left, Allen held a three-point lead and to seal the victory,
Nari Coe stole the possession away from Benedict and forced the Tigers to foul to end the game.
Clay and Wesley co-lead the Yellow Jackets with 17 points each. Jambor joined them in double figures with 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting. Wesley also led Allen with six rebounds and five assists. On the defensive end, Coe notched three steals and four rebounds.
Allen will be back in action on Tuesday, Feb. 4, as they host Savannah State. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. inside John Hurst Adams Gymnasium.
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ABOUT THE SOUTHERN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (SIAC)
The SIAC is a NCAA athletic conference consisting primarily of historically black colleges and universities with headquarters in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The SIAC includes 15 member institutions (Albany State University, Allen University, Benedict College, Central State University, Clark Atlanta University, Edward Waters University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Lane College, LeMoyne-Owen College, Miles College, Morehouse College, Savannah State University, Spring Hill College, and Tuskegee University), which are located within a contiguous seven-state footprint (Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio). The SIAC sponsors nine men's and seven women's sports and is a proud member of the NCAA Division II. For more information, visit
www.thesiac.com.