Todd Ryals

Wildcats Outlast North Central

11/17/2017 3:39:00 PM

By: LC Sports Information - Brad Welborn

Box Score

The Louisiana College women's basketball team made the long trip to suburban Chicago for a pair of games of in the Beth Baker Classic hosted by Wheaton College. In their Friday matchup with North Central College, the Wildcats used a strong second quarter to give themselves enough cushion to outlast the Cardinals at the end of the game for the 77-71 win to improve to 2-0 on the season. The return to action on Saturday afternoon to take on the host Wheaton College at 3pm.

After falling behind 7-3 through the first two minutes of the game, the Wildcats began to work their way back into range of the Cardinals. They chipped away at the lead piece by piece over the next four minutes until a layup by Brooke Jones and a pair of free throws RyDeja McQuarn got the Cats back within a bucket at 14-12. North Central got a pair of free throws before the quarter ended but the Wildcats got three before the break to get within a point at 16-15.

The momentum of the defensive pressure at the end of the first carried over into the second as the Wildcats came out on a 9-2 start to take a 24-18 lead. A three-pointer from NCC with 5:43 got them back within four but the Cats would pull away quickly. Over the final five minutes of the half LC outscored the Cardinals 16-4 to take a 42-26 lead into the break. Six different Wildcats scored during the dominating end of the quarter, led by McQuarn with five points.

The 16-point half time lead would come in handy as the Cardinals came out and turned the tables on the Wildcats in the third quarter, outscoring them 26-18 over the first 10 minutes of the second half. A 10-2 stretch at the mid-way point of the quarter got NCC back within two possessions but a jumper by Taylor Payne stopped the momentum and put the Wildcats back ahead by seven at 52-45. LC controlled the final two and a half minutes with six points, four from Kourtney McGhee, to hold the 60-52 lead after three quarters of play.

The Wildcats stretched their lead to 10 early in the fourth, before a two and a half minute scoreless stretch that brought the game to the final five minutes with LC still on top. A key three point shot with just over a minute to go in the game all but erased the Wildcats big lead as the Cardinals were within three at 73-70. A jumper in the lane on the Wildcats next possession by Brooke Jones gave LC a small cushion, which was added upon 30 seconds later thanks to two free throws from McGhee to seal the game.

Brooke Jones was dominant for the Wildcats around the basket, scoring 17 points and pulling in 16 rebounds for her first double-double of the season. Zharian Maxmillion had 13 points and six rebounds, and Kourtney McGhee ended with 12 points and five assists. Both Taylor Payne and RyDeja McQuarn had 11 points for a total of five in double digits for the Wildcats in the win.

The Wildcats return to action Saturday afternoon against Wheaton College before returning to Pineville. They travel to Jackson, Miss. next weekend for a pair of games at Millsaps College against Millsaps and Huntingdon College. Their next home came is scheduled for November 30, the American Southwest Conference season opener at the Rapides Parish Coliseum against McMurry University. For the latest on Louisiana College women's basketball follow @LC_WBB on Twitter and for general athletics information follow @LC_Wildcats on Twitter or like Louisiana College Athletics on Facebook.

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