CLEVELAND, Ga. (November 19, 2022) - The Truett McConnell University women's basketball team hosted Appalachian Athletic Conference competitor Bluefield University, where the Lady Bears broke away from a tough streak of losses with a big 78-68 victory over the Rams. TMU is now sitting at an overall record of 2-5, 2-4 AAC, while Bluefield falls to a record of  2-6, 2-4 AAC. 

PLAY-BY-PLAY
The Lady Bears started the game hot with an eight point run, featuring two shots at the three-point arc from Re'Tavia Floyd and a jump shot from Alysee Dobbs (8-0). The Rams worked to decrease the lead with shots of their own, but a good jumper from Kacie Williams, a three-pointer from Natalie Nixon and a layup from Tia Shelton had TMU up by 10 at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter saw the lady Bears with their largest lead of the day after a layup from Quan Holton (35-15), forcing the Rams to work hard under pressure. Bluefield was capable of cutting the advantage by nine with a run of their own, leaving the score 38-27 at the half. 

Back-to-back shots from Floyd and Holton opened the third quarter, while a good free throw and layup by Dobbs kept TMU up by 13. With one minute left on the clock, the Rams tried to bridge the gap with a shot at the three-point arc, but the Lady Bears remained resilient with a jump shot from Williams and shot in the paint by Sydnie Smith (58-49). The final quarter saw the Rams gain momentum to put the lead in range (60-56), but the Lady Bears proved sharp at the free throw line to increase the lead to seven (63-56). Good free throws from Floyd put the Lady Bears up by 11, while two shots at the free throw line from Holton closed out the game with a final score of 78-68. 

LEADERS
Dobbs led the way with a double-double of 14 points and 15 rebounds, along with going 8-11 at the free throw line. Holton followed close behind with a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Floyd recorded 17 points of her own. Williams had eight points, followed by Callihan who had seven points, seven rebounds and six assists. Nixon and Shelton individually tallied five points on the day, while Smith had four points and five assists. 

UP NEXT 
The Lady Bears will return inside the Benjamin F. Brady Arena on Wednesday, November 30, where they are set to face AAC competitor Milligan University at 5:30 p.m.