JACKSON, Miss. – The Wildcats of Louisiana Christian University jumped out to an early lead and led from start to finish Tuesday as they won 84-78 at Tougaloo College in the team's first game back following the Christmas break.
 
Miya McKinney (Ville Platte, La. / LSU–Eunice) turned in her seventh double-double performance of the season to lead the Wildcats (5-5), scoring 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting and pulling in 12 rebounds.
 
All five Wildcat starters scored in double-figures Tuesday, as LCU got 14 points from Paola Abad Prieto (Barcelona, Spain) and a season-high 12 points from Noa Fernandez Fuentes (Castañeda, Spain / IES Santa Cruz). Both players also handed out five assists in the contest.
 
Claire Borot (Le Robert, Martinique / Univ. of Mary) added 12 points, while DaKayla Howard (Monroe, La. / Neville HS) chipped in 11 points.
 
Tougaloo College (1-6), a member institution of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, was led by Morgan Williams, who came off the bench to score 17 points.
 
The Wildcats scored the first 13 points of the game, prompting a timeout from Tougaloo with five minutes remaining in the first quarter. LCU led by as many as 17 points when McKinney knocked down a pair of free throws with 1:43 left in the first period to give the 'Cats a 23-6 lead.
 
LCU shot 75 percent (12 of 16) in the first quarter as the Wildcats led 27-15 after the game's first 10 minutes. The 'Cats shot better than 50 percent from the floor in each quarter and finished the game having shot 33-of-52 (63.5 percent) from the floor.
 
The host Bulldogs used an aggressive press defense and long-range shooting to get themselves back into the game. Tougaloo eventually cut LCU's lead to three points early in the fourth quarter, and despite not getting any closer, kept the pressure on the Wildcats to the end of the contest.
 
When Tougaloo's defense was not successful, however, the Wildcats found plenty of easy shots. LCU outscored the Bulldogs 60-28 in points in the paint and enjoyed a 16-4 advantage in fast break points.
 
LCU's inside advantage and early lead meant that the Bulldogs had to go to the 3-point shot early and often. They attempted 36 shots from behind the 3-point arc, making 12 of them (33 percent). The 'Cats, meanwhile, were 0-for-3 from the arc.
 
The Wildcats return to action Friday, Dec. 30, when they visit Blue Mountain, Miss., in the northern part of the state, to face Blue Mountain College. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.