Senior captain Mykelli Taylor of the LaGrange College women's basketball team finished with four 3-pointers and six rebounds during a 65-54 setback to USA South-foe Brevard on Saturday afternoon in Mariotti Gym.
Taylor finished with a team-high 12 points, while junior forward Adreona Bowen scored a career-high 11 points and her six rebounds were tied for the most on the team.
The Panthers (12-7, 6-5 USA South) raced out to a 12-3 lead, but Brevard (6-13, 4-9 USA South) changed the whole complexion of the game with a 29-8 run, taking a 32-20 lead with 2:01 left in the first half. Destiny Williams (13 points, 9 rebounds), Deja Riddick (10 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists) and Taryn Ledford (13 points, 3-for-5 on 3-pointers) led the way for the Tornados.
FIRST-HALF HIGHLIGHTS:
- A left-elbow jumper by senior captain Sadie Desroches 1:02 into the first quarter opened the scoring for the Panthers. LaGrange took a 6-0 lead on a left-wing 3 by Taylor with 7:14 on the clock.
- Bowen converted a layup off an offensive rebound, and then Desroches drained a pair of free throws off a strong drive to the basket, giving the hosts a 10-3 advantage with 5:02 remaining.
- Freshman forward Morgan Grant established strong post position and converted a layup off an inbounds pass by junior guard Daijah Cousins, putting the Panthers in front by their largest margin at 12-3 with 3:46 on the scoreboard.
- Junior center Nadia Montour showcased outstanding footwork and timing with 1:34 remaining in the first, blocking a layup attempt by Krysta Davis of Brevard.
- After Brevard took a 32-20 advantage with 2:01 left in the half, Taylor buried a right-wing 3 at the buzzer off a strong transition push by junior guard Jahpera McEachin, cutting the lead down to single digits at halftime.
SECOND-HALF HIGHLIGHTS:
- On the Panthers' first offensive possession of the second half, Taylor buried a right-baseline 3, pulling the unit to within six 33 seconds into the third at 32-26.
- LaGrange kept chipping away and cut the deficit down to 34-30 following a turnaround jumper in the post by senior captain Sarah Evans and two foul shots by Bowen. The Panthers were not able to get any closer than four in the second half.
- Cousins converted a runner on the left side of the lane during an old-fashioned, 3-point play, trimming the Tornados' lead down to 50-39 with five seconds left in the third.
- A right-wing 3 by junior forward Megan English made it a 50-42 game 44 seconds into the fourth. The Tornados responded with two foul shots by Davis and a 3-point shot by Shakirah Thompson, extending the lead up to 55-42 with 6:36 on the clock.
- Bowen made an exceptional defensive play with 5:46 left, sliding over and taking a charge in the lane.
- A 3-point shot by Thompson with 4:24 remaining put Brevard in front by its largest margin at 61-46.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- The Panthers won the rebounding battle, 40-35, and second-chance points, 15-9.
- Evans finished with six points on 3-for-5 shooting from the floor. Cousins (5 points, 4 assists) and sophomore guard Jada Brown (2 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists) made an impact off the bench.
- Brevard shot 11-for-30 (36.7 percent) from 3-point range and 12-for-16 (75 percent) from the line.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
- Brevard leads the all-time series, 4-3, as the rivalry goes back to 2016.
- LaGrange won the first meeting during the 2019-20 season, 61-47, at Brevard on Nov. 30. McEachin finished with a game-high 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the floor.
- The Panthers have defeated Brevard twice at Mariotti, with one win coming by one point and the other one coming by two. Lauren Johnson '18 drilled the game-winning jumper with one second left in a 44-42 win on Feb. 10, 2018. During a 56-55 victory in overtime on Jan. 4, 2019, McEachin recorded the game-winner with three seconds left.
UP NEXT:
- The Panthers will take on USA South-rival Berea on Sunday at 2 p.m. in Mariotti.
