Hattiesburg, Miss. — William Carey’s women’s basketball team opened strong and never looked back, defeating Abraham Baldwin 94-45 on Saturday afternoon. The Lady Crusaders jumped out to a double-digit lead within the first five minutes and maintained control throughout the game.
Carey started the game with a 6-0 run, with Jenna Garriga opening the scoring with a jumper. Leah Sutton and Meyah Doyle added early baskets, and after Addyson Sherer’s pull-up shot, the lead grew to 8-0. Abraham Baldwin finally scored its first points with a three-pointer, but Carey responded quickly. Sutton made two free throws and a layup, Garriga hit a corner three, and Bailey Devall added a jumper to push the lead to 17-3 with four minutes remaining in the first quarter. The Lady Crusaders closed the period with late free throws from Alyssa Hillard, extending their advantage to 31-8.
In the second quarter, Carey continued its dominance. Brooklyn Cuevas hit a three and a layup early, and Hillard added another three. Anna Rose Engle and Charlie Gamberine contributed long-range shots as the lead grew past 30. Devall and Gamberine each made threes later in the period, and Sherer’s free throw with 2:40 left pushed the margin to 51-14. Carey entered halftime firmly in control.
The Crusaders maintained their intensity after the break. Cuevas started the third with a three, and Garriga and Sutton followed with back-to-back triples. Garriga’s fast break made it 62-19 with nearly six minutes remaining in the quarter. The lead stretched to 69-33 by the end of the third, with free throws from Gamberine and Devall closing the quarter.
In the final period, Sherer opened with a three, and Sutton added a layup and another three, pushing the lead further. Cuevas and Doyle scored late, and Presley Thompson added a transition basket to seal the victory. Sherer and Sutton led all scorers with 14 points each. Devall posted her first career double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Cuevas and Garriga finished with 10 points apiece.
The Lady Crusaders will next travel to Montgomery, Alabama, to face Faulkner University on Thursday, February 12, at 5:30 p.m., according to team officials.
