NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Mississippi Valley State University women's basketball continued its non conference road schedule Saturday afternoon, falling 117-56 to Tennessee State University at the Gentry Center Complex.
The Delta Devils (0-5) were led offensively by I'xana Winters, who finished with a team-high 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting, adding two assists. Preseason All-SWAC selection
Sydnei Marshall followed with 11 points, two rebounds and two assists, while
Mariah Reed-Jones provided seven points off the bench.
Mississippi Valley State opened the contest with energy as Marshall scored the game's first basket just five seconds into regulation. The Delta Devils remained competitive throughout the opening period, using timely offensive contributions to stay within striking distance. A three-pointer from Winters, followed by a triple from Reed-Jones, trimmed Tennessee State's advantage to 14-13 with 2:56 remaining in the first quarter. However, the Lady Tigers closed the period on a 10-2 run to take a 24-15 lead.
Tennessee State extended its advantage during the second quarter, but Valley continued battling behind the offensive efforts of Marshall and Winters. Marshall contributed seven points in the period, while Winters added four. The Delta Devils found success attacking the basket and converting opportunities at the free-throw line, shooting 5-of-6 from the charity stripe during the quarter. Tennessee State carried a 49-30 advantage into halftime.
Coming out of the break, the Lady Tigers used a strong third-quarter performance to create separation, outscoring the Delta Devils 45-12 in the period. Despite the offensive surge from Tennessee State, Valley continued competing through the final quarter, adding 14 points while receiving contributions from several players throughout the rotation.
Ja'la Douglas provided a presence on the boards for Mississippi Valley State, finishing with a team-high six rebounds and five points. Reed-Jones contributed seven points, shooting 2-of-4 from the field and connecting on her lone three-point attempt. Kambili Nelson and
Taylor Crawford each added four points, while
Joyce Mulumba contributed three points, four rebounds and a blocked shot.
As a team, Mississippi Valley State finished 18-of-57 (31.6 percent) from the floor and converted 18-of-26 free-throw attempts (69.2 percent). The Delta Devils also received 23 points from their bench.
Tennessee State (2-2) was led by Somah Kamara, who scored a game-high 29 points, connecting on 12-of-13 field-goal attempts, including all five of her three-point opportunities. Addison Melton added 19 points, while LaKiara Alexander recorded a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds.
The Lady Tigers shot 58.3 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from beyond the arc, while holding a 48-27 advantage in rebounds.
Mississippi Valley State will look to build on its individual performances and continue developing consistency on both ends of the floor as the Delta Devils move forward through their challenging non conference schedule.
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