Lady Warriors Take Down Eagles

Sterling, Kan. – The Lady Warriors took care of business in their last home game of 2023 with a 66-51 win over the Avila University Eagles. It was a great way to kick off the Christmas break trip they will be taking in Florida next week.

The Lady Warriors led most of the way. Taking a 7-6 lead with just over five minutes left to play in the first quarter, Sterling never looked back. Sterling built up a 20-16 lead after one quarter of play. Korynn Clason and Bailey Young paced Sterling in scoring with 5 points each in the quarter. Aliya McClanahan and Kayla Morris dominated the boards with 3 rebounds each.

Sterling tried to extend the lead in the second quarter. There was nearly a four-minute stretch through the middle of the frame that neither team was able to find the basket. The score was 26-20 in the stretch. Clason broke the drought by nailing a wing three that tickled the bottom of the net. It sparked a 6-0 run that gave Sterling their biggest lead of the half at 12. Avila, after a 6 minute scoring freeze, scored the last 5 points of the quarter cutting the lead to just seven heading into halftime. Sterling still had control, 32-25.

The third quarter became too close for comfort as Sterling struggled to find an answer for Avila's, Madilyn Melton. Melton scored 12 points in the quarter on 6-8 shooting, making left-handed layup after left-handed layup. Her efforts brought the once twelve-point lead to just one at 36-35 with five minutes to play in the third quarter. Sterling staved off the Eagle push as Kali Briar hit a pair of threes and a jump shot to push the lead back to nine. Sterling recovered and had their biggest lead of the quarter with just under two minutes remaining when Karlee Jacobs, being selective and efficient in her scoring, made back-to-back layups. Sterling closed out the quarter with a comfortable 50-42 lead.

The closest the Warriors would let the Eagles get in the fourth quarter was 5 points, but Sterling kept the offensive pressure on as they pulled away down the stretch. The Warriors extended their lead to 15 by the time the final horn sounded. Sterling won their second in a row and the fourth of their last five games played, by a final score of 66-51.

Clason led the Warriors in scoring for the second time this week scoring 16 points on just 6-8 shooting. Briar and Alyssa Heskamp rounded out the double figure scoring with 12 and 11 respectively. Briar also added 5 assists to her stat line. McClanahan dominated the boards, grabbing 7 rebounds in just 16 minutes of play and getting her second consecutive start. Bailey Young had a great defensive post game with 4 steals.

As a team, Sterling shot 46% from the field and 44% from three. Sterling once again made as many free throws as their opponent took, going 10-18 from the free throw line. The Lady Warriors won the rebound battle 26-23, but lost the turnover battle 24-20. They were able to capitalize on their opportunities as they dominated the points off turnovers category and second chance points.

Sterling has two more games before their Christmas break officially begins. They travel to Florida early next week and will play Webber International and Warner University on Thursday and Friday before returning home. Sterling is now .500 this season with a 5-5 overall record and a 4-2 conference mark that is currently good enough for a tie for 4^th in the KCAC. The second semester schedule begins at home against Evangel University on January 3^rd, 2024, with tipoff scheduled for 6 pm in the Gleason Center.

Be sure to check for news and updates on Sterling Warrior Athletics on Facebook (/SCWarriors), Twitter (@SterlingCSports), and Instagram (sterlingcsports), as well as the hashtag #SwordsUp. Watch the Warriors' live home events on the Sterling College Sports Network.