RALEIGH, N.C. (Nov. 30) – Saint Augustine's University received an early scare from Piedmont International University but recovered in the second half for a double-digit women's basketball win on Saturday.
Kaaliya Williams (Sr./Richmond, VA) and Milequa Eason (Jr./Woodland, NC) led a balanced attack as the SAU women roared back from a first-half deficit to capture a 77-64 victory at Emery Gymnasium. The win was the second straight for the Lady Falcons, who improved to 4-2 overall. The six-game start is their best since the 2011-12 season.
Williams scored 19 points and Eason came off the bench to add a season-high 18 points for the Lady Falcons, who overcame a 35-26 halftime deficit. Quiera Gilmore (Sr./Charlotte, NC) registered 12 points, Tanisha Wall (Sr./Franklinton, NC) pumped in 11 points off the bench and Kamya Renwicks (Sr./Baltimore, MD) contributed 10 points.
The trio of Williams, Eason and Wall sparked a second-half Lady Falcons' comeback. Williams scored 10 points in the third period, including six points during a 15-3 run in a four-minute span that erased a nine-point deficit and put the Lady Falcons ahead 52-49 at the end of the period. Eason scored five points during the third-period run and six points in the fourth period as Lady Falcons pulled away from the Lady Bruins, leading by as much as 16 in the final stanza. Wall scored nine points in the fourth period.
Mychala Wolfe scored 19 points and Leonzerrar Grubbs added 14 points for the Lady Bruins (4-2 overall), who were seeking their fourth consecutive victory. They took the fight to the Lady Falcons in the first half, breaking an 18-18 tie at the end of the first period to open a 10-point second-period lead. The Lady Bruins shot 55.6 percent while the Lady Falcons shot 12.5 percent in the second period.
The Lady Falcons turned the tables in the second half, wearing down the Lady Bruins with their depth and transition game, which resulted in easy layups for a 46-24 advantage in points in the paint. They were a blistering 76 percent in the second half in outscoring the Lady Bruins 51-29 in the final two periods. The Lady Bruins shot 36 percent in the second half.
Eason and Wall combined to score 29 points as SAU outscored Piedmont International 31-12 in bench points. The Lady Falcons also forced 25 turnovers and held a 23-15 margin in turnover points.
The SAU women have little time to rest as they take on Division I North Carolina A&T State University on Monday, Dec. 2, in an exhibition game for the Lady Falcons. Both teams meet at Corbett Sports Center in Greensboro, N.C., at 5:30 p.m.
