Lady Wolves Blitz Ridge Runners

WESSON – The Co-Lin Women's Basketball team returned from break and opened the second half of the season by hosting Phillips Community College on Monday, January 5. The Lady Wolves overcame a sluggish start and routed the Ridge Runners, 74-44.

The Lady Wolves were sluggish out of the gates to start the game as the Ridge Runners jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead. However, the Lady Wolves responded with eight unanswered points capped off by back-to-back threes as Maddison Mitchell (Baton Rouge, LA) started the scoring with a breakaway layup and then nailed a three with an assist from Eymani Key (Lafayette, LA). The two Louisiana guards then reversed the connection for the next three as Mitchell assisted Key as she swished a three to give the Lady Wolves a lead that they never relinquished at the 5:55 mark in the first quarter. The Lady Wolves then closed out the quarter with a 9-6 scoring run to increase their lead to 17-11.

In the second quarter the Lady Wolves scored the first 14 points while holding the Ridge Runners scoreless until the 3:41 remaining mark as they pushed their lead to 31-13. The Ridge Runners responded with a 6-1 scoring run to close out the quarter, but the Lady Wolves held a 32-19 lead as the first half ended and the teams headed for the locker rooms.

Once again, the Lady Wolves used a big scoring run, 10-2, to extend their lead in the opening moments of the third quarter and second half which stood at 42-21 with 6:57 left to play. The Lady Wolves then used an 8-7 scoring run to push their lead to 50-28 with 4:30 remaining. The Lady Wolves closed out the quarter with a 7-4 scoring run growing the lead to 57-32 heading to the final quarter of play.

The Lady Wolves continued to flex their muscles as they outscored the Ridge Runners, 10-5, pushing the lead to 67-37 with 5:50 left to play. Both teams matched scoring outputs over the closing minutes adding seven points each as the Lady Wolves secured the 74-44 victory.

The Lady Wolves had four players in double-digit scoring figures as Kamaiyah Pruitt (Pass Christian) led the way with 14 points and six rebounds with one assist and two steals while Jalynn Applewhite (Gulfport) added 11 points with three rebounds and one assist. Zion Nelson (Byram) and Tyra Johnson (Morton) had 10 points each while Nelson led all players with eight rebounds and had two assists, two blocks, and one steal while Johnson added four rebounds to her night.

Akeelah Hobson (Oakdale, LA) had nine points with three rebounds, three assists, and one steal while Eymani Key had eight points with two rebounds and five assists. Maddison Mitchell had seven points and led all players in assists and steals with six in each category along with three rebounds with Amari Barnes (Tylertown) adding five points with four rebounds and two steals to round out the scoring for the Lady Wolves.

Co-Lin improves to 8-2 overall and will return to action on the road for their final non-conference game against Baton Rouge on Thursday, January 8. Tip-off between the Lady Wolves and the Lady Bears is set for 6 p.m., at Bonne Sante Wellness Center.