The William Carey women’s basketball team fell 53–52 to Life University on Thursday afternoon in Marietta, Georgia. The game was a back-and-forth contest that was decided in the final seconds, according to sources.
Life jumped out to an early 8–2 lead behind three-pointers from Khloe Vaughn and Aniyah Offutt. Carey responded quickly, with four straight points from Shaneal Corpuz and free throws from Meyah Doyle to tie the game at 10–10 midway through the first quarter. Life regained momentum and led 20–16 at the end of the period.
In the second quarter, Carey opened with a basket from Leah Sutton, but Life pulled ahead with four unanswered points and extended the lead to 30–22. Carey’s defense limited further damage, and Alyssa Hillard’s late layup cut the halftime deficit to 30–24.
Carey started the third quarter strong, with Brooklyn Cuevas hitting a three and Corpuz adding a layup to bring the score to 30–29. Life responded with a 6–0 run, creating a seven-point cushion. Carey chipped away, with Bailey Devall forcing a steal and scoring to narrow the gap to 37–36 with under three minutes remaining. Life maintained a 43–38 lead heading into the final quarter.
Trailing by five, Carey relied on Corpuz, who scored inside and made free throws to keep the game within reach. Life answered with four points to push the lead to 49–42. However, Carey rallied, with Corpuz igniting an 8–0 run that gave the Lady Crusaders their first lead since the opening tip. Addyson Sherer’s jumper put Carey ahead 52–51 with five minutes left.
Life responded with a layup from Kenya Robinson to take a 53–52 lead with 2:29 remaining. Carey had multiple chances to retake the lead, including offensive rebounds and put-back attempts from Madelyn Ladner in the final 11 seconds. After forcing a turnover with three seconds left, Carey had one final shot, but Sherer’s buzzer-beating three missed the mark, ending the game.
William Carey is scheduled to return home on Feb. 5 to host Thomas University at Clinton Gym, with tip-off set for 5:30 p.m., according to the school.
