SHREVEPORT, La. – The Louisiana Christian women's basketball team is off to its best start since the 2018-19 season as the Wildcats scored the game's first 11 points against Centenary and never looked back, knocking off the Ladies 71-56 Friday night at the Gold Dome to move to 3-1 on the season.
 
Kieyoomia Benally got the game-opening 11-0 run started with a three-pointer and Amiya Dartez finished the run with a three of her own for the 11-0 lead. Centenary made a run to cut the lead down to one, but the Wildcats answered again as a Dakayla Howard three started another 11-0 run that ended as Miya McKinney hit a pair of free throws to make it 25-13 LCU with 7:30 left before halftime. LCU led 34-22 at the break.
 
With the Wildcats up nine with less than six minutes left in the third quarter, another Kieyoomia Benally three sent the Wildcats on the team's third 11-0 run of the game. Amiya Dartez's two free throws ended the run with the Wildcat lead hitting 20 points for the first time in the contest at 55-35 with 2:40 left in the third quarter. The lead would not fall below double-digits for the remainder of the contest as the Wildcats closed out the 15-point win.
 
Kieyoomia Benally and Amiya Dartez both finished the contest with 14 points apiece. Benally went four-of-five from the field, including hitting all three three-point shots she attempted. She was also three of three at the charity stripe. Amiya Dartez was four-of-ten from the field while hitting two three-pointers and was good on all four of her free throw attempts. Miya McKinney was four-of-six from the field and finished with 11 points. LCU hit on 38.2% of its shots in the match as a team while holding the Ladies to 34.7% shooting.
 
The Wildcats (3-1) are back on the court for a lunch time exhibition on Tuesday at Louisiana-Monroe. Tip-off of Tuesday's matinee against the Warhawks (0-2) is set for 11:30 A.M. at Fant-Ewing Coliseum and can be streamed on ESPN+.