ALBANY, Ga. — From the opening tip to the final possession, Saturday afternoon's matchup between
Albany State and
Spring Hill College delivered exactly what conference basketball promises—intensity, resilience, and a fight to the finish. When the final buzzer sounded, it was the Lady Golden Rams standing tall, securing a hard-earned 67–62 victory over the Lady Badgers inside West Campus Arena. The win pushes Albany State to 10–4 overall and 9–4 in SIAC play, marking the program's first 10-win season since the 2021–22 campaign and underscoring a team that continues to build momentum with no signs of slowing down.
Albany State wasted little time asserting itself early. Capitalizing on Spring Hill miscues and pushing the pace, the Lady Rams jumped out to a 13–4 advantage and controlled the tempo throughout the opening quarter. That early energy carried ASU to an 18–14 lead at the end of the first, fueled by strong defensive rebounding and paint touches.
Spring Hill responded in the second quarter, settling into a rhythm offensively and applying pressure that slowed Albany State's attack. The Lady Badgers used a balanced scoring effort to flip the script before halftime, handing the Lady Rams a 36–32 deficit at the break.
The second half, however, belonged to Albany State.
Refusing to let the game slip away, the Lady Rams locked in defensively and began to chip away at the lead. Their patience paid off as they outscored Spring Hill 35–26 over the final two quarters, winning the battle inside and making timely plays on both ends of the floor.
Na'Haviya Paxton led the charge with a dominant performance, pouring in a game-high 23 points while adding eight rebounds and four assists. Her steady presence and relentless effort set the tone as Albany State worked its way back into control.
Paris Triplett provided a spark with 11 points and five assists, while
Jada Morgan chipped in nine points and key defensive stops down the stretch.
Sariah Johnson anchored the paint with a double-digit rebounding effort, pulling down 13 boards to go along with six points, as Albany State finished with a commanding 48–31 advantage on the glass. The Lady Rams also capitalized on second-chance opportunities and points in the paint, grinding out crucial possessions when the game tightened late.
The final minutes reflected the tone of the entire contest—physical, composed, and competitive. Albany State executed down the stretch, knocking down free throws and forcing timely stops to preserve the narrow lead as Spring Hill's final push came up short.
The Lady Rams finished with 48 rebounds, 44 points in the paint, and 18 second-chance points, a testament to their toughness and commitment to winning the battle inside.
UP NEXT
Albany State returns to the road for a special MLK Day matchup against Tuskegee University, as the Lady Golden Rams look to continue their strong run in SIAC play.
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ABOUT ALBANY STATE ATHLETICS
Albany State University is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II-level intercollegiate athletic program. The university currently fields teams in 11 sports: women's volleyball, women's tennis, women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, softball, men's and women's track and field, women's soccer, baseball, and football with all teams compete in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), except women's soccer, which participates in the Peach Belt Conference.
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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 (HBCUs) 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.