ROME- The Shorter Hawks Women's Basketball team fell in a tightly contested game against Mount Olive Saturday afternoon in a 66-61 defeat.
The Hawks and the Trojans exchanged blows throughout the first frame, including a triple from Amya Patterson, with neither team having any real edge over the other. However, the Hawks would end the first up two after Aijah Manning and Amiya Redus tipped it in on back-to-back strolls through the paint, giving the Hawks a 13-11 lead entering the second quarter.
Aijah Manning started the second off with a bang, making a jumper and then immediately turning around and laying in another two from the paint. The margin would stay razor-thin, however, with Chelsy Singleton exchanging free throws with the Trojans before Mount Olive would hit a triple to give themselves a 23-21 lead. Amiya Redus would go back-to-back on jogs down the alley to give Shorter the lead, but two layups from the Trojans would have them ahead 29-27 at the half.
Shorter welcomed themselves into the second half with a three-pointer from Chelsy Singleton, giving them the lead once more. The score would shift back and forth throughout the quarter as both offenses would exchange blows while they duelled in the paint. However, Chelsy Singleton would end the third quarter in the exact way she opened it with a three-pointer to keep both teams locked in a stalemate as they entered the final frame at 47-all.
Amiya Redus drew first blood for the Hawks in the fourth quarter before the Trojans would score five unanswered to give themselves a three-point lead. Amiya Redus, however, countered with back-to-back layups to give Shorter a thin one-point cushion. Both offenses would sneak jabs in at each other before Amya Patterson knocked down a triple to put the Hawks up a pair with two-and-a-half minutes remaining. Mount Olive, however, would score four unanswered to find themselves up four with twenty seconds left in the game. Chelsy Singleton, undaunted, would hit a three-pointer to cut the deficit to a single point, which would unfortunately be the last scoring play the Hawks would make as the Trojans scored four more unanswered to take the contest 66-61.
As a team, the Haws shot very well from the field, putting up a respectable 41% (25-60), along with a commanding 35% from behind the arc (7-20). From the stripe, the Hawks only missed two, putting up a solid 66% (4-6). Chelsy Singleton poured in 20 points on the afternoon, with a pair of boards, a pair of steals, and four assists to boot. Amiya Redus proved herself to be a threat on both sides of the midline, contributing 18 points with a whopping 10 rebounds, along with three assists and two steals. Amya Patterson added 11 points of her own with three rebounds, but made three of the seven Shorter triples. Aijah Manning proved her dominance on the glass once again, finishing with eight points and nine rebounds.
UP NEXT
The Hawks will travel to Wilson, North Carolina on Monday where they will square off against Barton for a 5:00 PM tip-off.
FOLLOW THE HAWKS
For complete coverage of Shorter Women's basketball, follow the Hawks on social media @Shorterwbb (Instagram) or visit the official home of Shorter athletics at goshorterhawks.com
