COLUMBUS — Mississippi University for Women saw its teams return to the court and the track last week. The university hosted basketball games at Pohl Gymnasium and sent athletes to compete at an indoor track event in Birmingham over the weekend.
Basketball conference conquests
Both Owls hoops teams extended their respective winning runs last week, registering St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference wins to move closer to their first postseason berths since the school earned NCAA Division III status.
Head coach Dean Burrows’ MUW men’s team climbed above .500, improving to 8-7 and 5-3 in SLIAC play with a 64-62 win over Blackburn College on Thursday and a 75-67 overtime win over Eureka College on Sunday. Both games were close calls, but the team fought to stay alive for postseason contention and continue an impressive run in the new year.
Against Eureka, the Owls surrendered an 11-point lead in the final two minutes, heading to overtime tied at 58, but they found new life from the free throw line. They hit 11-14 shots from the line to close out the win and extend their streak to four.
Eric Bass Jr. led the team with 16 points and was joined in double-digits by Tyson Smithey and Jackson Reid.
Head coach Eric Vaughn’s MUW women’s team also extended their winning run last week with high-scoring performances. The Owls won 81-43 against Blackburn on Thursday and 88-81 against Eureka on Sunday. The team improved to 4-11 with the win, 3-5 in SLIAC play.
The Thursday win saw plenty of action across the roster, with every player getting at least a point in the 38-point victory. Claire Leak and Calysia Phillips led the way with 10 points each, but it was only a warm-up before the pair went off in a remarkable Sunday performance.
Phillips, the Owls’ leading scorer this season, put up 32 points against the Red Devils on Sunday to lead a second-half comeback win and put the Owls in postseason contention. Leak wasn’t far behind her, scoring 26 points as Conley Langford added another 17.
The trio were responsible for all 11 three-pointers for the Owls.
“Despite numerous mental mistakes I believe that, as a team, we played a fantastic game overall,” Phillips said to MUW media. “We executed well; we didn’t let the fact that they were scoring and playing effectively stop us. Even when we were feeling low, we encouraged one another. The squad is finally coming together and playing as a team, though we still have work to do. I think I had a great game but I still have space for improvement. By driving and kicking out, I’m improving my free throw skills and involving my teammates.”
Both Owls teams will look to further extend their respective winning runs at Greenville University on Thursday.
Track and field rolls into the new year
MUW track and field got off and running in 2025 with some standout performances in Birmingham over the weekend. Eight school records were established for the men and women at the Samford Open on Saturday and the KMS Invitational on Sunday at the CrossPlex indoor arena.
Freshman thrower Brooklyn Kelley built on an already impressive season by breaking her own record twice in shot put by hitting 11.04 meters and breaking a school record for the weight throw with 12.80 meters. Kelley finished in third among 16 competitors in weight throw and third among 20 in shot put.
Sophomore Allen Fields also broke his own record on the men’s side of things, clocking in at 9.25 seconds in the 60-meter hurdle, making him the no. 1 ranked time in SLIAC for the event.
Other record setters include senior Tavonta Macon in the 600-meter, his teammates Kobe Smith, Jailon Warner and Seth Williams in the 4×200 relay and freshman Malachi Stafford, who became the first Owl to compete in the high jump.
The Owls will return to Birmingham next month for the UAB Green & Gold Invitational event.
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