Former Columbus High School standout Rokila Wallace had a game-high 21 points Thursday night to lead the Mississippi University for Women’s women’s basketball team to a 74-68 victory against Philander Smith College at Pohl Gymnasium.
Wallace was 6-for-11 from the field and 9-for-13 from the free-throw line to help the Owls improve to 10-2. She also had three rebounds, two assists, and three steals.
Keyahna Jones had 13 points and a game-high of 12 rebounds. Tenazhia Hinkson went 5-for-12 from the field, 2-for-5 beyond the arc, and 4-for-6 at the free-throw line for 16 points. She also had seven rebounds and two assists.
“The Owls played a very good team tonight,” The W coach Howard White Jr. said. “They are a great 3-point shooting team, but we were aggressive on the offensive end of the floor, attacking them on every possession and getting to the foul line. Defensively, we were solid and didn’t allow their offense to explode for big runs. We
rebounded the basketball very well and our bigs did a great job scoring in the paint. We did turn the ball over more than what we wanted, but did a great job scoring in transition.”
The W shot 46.8 percent from the field, 22.2 percent from 3-point range, and 59.6 percent at the free-throw line. The W held Philander Smith College to 30.5 percent from the field, 26.5 percent from 3-point range, and 52.9 percent from the free-throw line.
After trailing 20-18 after one quarter, The W took control in the second quarter, as Qiayon Bailey and Jones hit back-to-back layups. The W grabbed its first lead, 25-23, on Hinkson’s 3-pointer. The Owls led 41-40 at halftime.
The score was tied twice in the third quarter and the lead changed hands four times.
Leading 55-52 after three quarters, MyNeka Frazier’s layup 29 seconds into the fourth quarter pushed the lead to 57-52 and fueled the Owls’ run to the finish.
The W will return to the court at 2 p.m. Saturday when it plays at Huntingdon College.
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