Boxscore
BOWIE, Md. - Swing player Allison Sikes is playing her best basketball of the season, and as a result Saint Augustine's College is undefeated in the CIAA.
Sikes (Sr./Richmond, Va.) poured in a game-high 23 points on 11 of 19 shooting to push the Lady Falcons past Bowie State 67-55 Saturday at A.C. Jordan Arena in a battle of teams unbeaten in the CIAA. The victory was the first for the Lady Falcons at Bowie State since 2000, a span of seven straight losses. It was also the fifth win in a row for the Lady Falcons.
The Lady Falcons (10-4 overall, 4-0 CIAA) snapped the road string at Bowie State and stayed unbeaten in the league behind Sikes, who scored 15 points on 7 of 14 shooting in the first half. The Lady Falcons were ahead by double digits midway in the first half and led at halftime 39-21.
“We came out ready to play,” said Sikes, who recorded her first career triple double – 24 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists – in a win over Virginia Union Thursday. “We were mentally and physically ready the moment we got off the bus.”
Sikes added six rebounds, four assists and two steals. The assists were a game-high, and the rebounds and steals tied team-high honors. Sikes had plenty of help in knocking off the Lady Bulldogs (7-4, 3-1 CIAA). Point guard Brittany Torain (Jr./Warner Robins, Ga.) added 13 points while forward Umeka Benson (Fr./Charlotte, N.C.) and guard-forward Le'Kiesha White (Sr./Richmond, Va.) both chipped in eight points and six rebounds.
The Lady Falcons were intense defensively, forcing 25 turnovers even without using their signature full-court press. They converted the turnovers into 26 points to pull away from the Lady Bulldogs. The Lady Falcons have forced 20 or more turnovers in four consecutive games.
Behind by double figures most of the day, the Lady Bulldogs (7-4, 3-1 CIAA) made a late rally. Teaunsha Robinson scored on two straight layups to bring the Lady Bulldogs within 61-52 with three minutes left, capping a 10-1 run in a four-minute span.
Sikes stopped the run with a jumper with 1:41 remaining, and the Lady Falcons led by double figures the rest of the way. The win avenged three straight previous losses at Bowie State for seniors Sikes, White and Crystal McCaffity (Sr./Havelock, N.C.).
“That was a lot of motivation for this game,” Sikes said.
Brittney Jackson had the hot hand for the Lady Bulldogs, scoring 16 points on 5-for-10 shooting including two three-pointers. Robinson added 11 points, all in the second half, on 5-for-10 shooting and Juliette Turner collected 10 points and and a game-high nine rebounds. But turnovers and free throw shooting were the undoing of Lady Bulldogs, who hit 17 of 29 free throws.
After two straight road games, the Lady Falcons are back home on Martin Luther King Day. They host Chowan at Emery Gymnasium Monday at 5:30 p.m. The Lady Bulldogs are back in action Tuesday at Livingstone starting at 5:30 p.m.
