Box Score
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - All-SIAC center
Shaquanda Wiggins picked up her 10
th double-double of the season to help the Kentucky State women's basketball team cruise through the quarterfinal round of the SIAC Championship Tournament with a 71-40 win over Miles College on Wednesday evening at Bill Harris Arena.
Kentucky State (22-4, 16-2 SIAC), the top-seed out of the West Division, earned its 14th straight victory and advances to the semifinal round. #5W Miles (8-19, 4-14 SIAC) is bounced from the tournament after defeating #4E Fort Valley State, 78-67, in the opening round of the tournament on Monday evening.
The Thorobrettes, who defeated Miles twice during the regular season but by an average of just 3.5 points, came out hot in the opening half, shooting 55 percent from the floor as a team. KSU slowly wore down the Lady Golden Tigers, who shot just 28 percent from the floor and committed 12 turnovers, to take a commanding 39-18 lead locker room. KSU limited SIAC Player of the Year Porshia Blue to just four points on 2-of-10 shooting from the floor in the opening frame.
In the second half, it was much of the same for the Thorobrettes who continued to look inside for high-percentage shots on the offensive end while playing stifling defense on the other end. KSU outscored Miles 42-24 in the paint on Wednesday. Kentucky State followed up its impressive defensive performance in the opening half with an even better second, holding Miles to just 24 percent from the field.
Wiggins, who leads the nation in field goal percentage, making 65 percent of her attempts, finished with 11 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Forward
Brieona Warner went 7-of-8 from the floor to lead the Thorobrettes with 15 points. Guard
Shaia Horton, who leads KSU with 12.2 points per game this season, picked up 13. Point guard
Taylor Sanders came off the bench to finish with eight points, seven rebounds, five assists and five steals. Forward
Logan Powell added 10 points and four boards.
Blue led Miles with 14 points but was held in check, going 6-for-20 from the floor on Wednesday. Blue also finished with a team-high six rebounds and five steals. Ebony Mcneill, who finished with nine points, was the only other Lady Golden Bear to finish with more than six points.
Kentucky State now awaits the winner of the #2E Albany State/#3W Stillman game being played at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow, Mar. 5. The Thorobrettes semifinal round game on Friday, Mar. 6, is set to tip-off at 5:30 p.m.
