FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. – The King University women's basketball team dropped a Conference Carolinas contest at Emmanuel University on Saturday afternoon. The Tornado kept the contest close, fighting back on numerous occasions, but couldn't regain the lead, falling 70-58.
THE BASICS
FINAL: Emmanuel 70, King 58
LOCATION: Shaw Athletic Center; Franklin Springs, Ga.
RECORDS: King 1-10, 0-3 Conference Carolinas; Emmanuel 7-4, 4-0 Conference Carolinas
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Period
- After Emmanuel scored the first basket of the game, Brianna Dunbar got the Tornado on the board.
- Ashley Allen followed with consecutive baskets to give King a 6-2 lead four minutes into the contest.
- Alayna Smith added a layup before another Allen basket gave King a 10-7 lead.
- The Lions scored the final points of the quarter, but King lead 10-9 after the opening 10 minutes.
Second Period
- Emmanuel started the second quarter with back-to-back triples to take a 15-10 lead.
- Jaden Potts ended the 8-0 Lion run with a triple three minutes into the second quarter.
- The Lions opened up a seven point lead, but a three-point basket from Ashley Phillip and a layup from Allen pulled King back within 22-18.
- Allen later pulled King within 25-22 with a layup, but the Lions scored the final four points of the quarter to take a 29-22 lead at the break.
- King shot 27.0 percent in the first half with only four turnovers while the Tornado forced Emmanuel into 10 turnovers.
- However, the Lions shot 39.3 percent from the floor and 40.0 percent from long range.
Third Period
- Jhayda McKinney sparked the Tornado offense early in the third quarter, scoring seven straight King points.
- Dunbar then came up with a layup that pulled King within 33-31 three minutes into the period.
- However, Emmanuel responded with eight straight points to take a 41-31 lead before a Torey Walker layup.
- The teams then traded baskets as the Tornado cut their deficit to 46-40, but the Lions connected form long range to take a 49-40 lead into the fourth quarter.
Fourth Period
- The King deficit grew to 54-43, but a Potts triple ignited the Tornado offense.
- Le'Aije Ellington and Morgan Bone followed with baskets to pull King within 55-50 midway through the period following the 7-1 run.
- However, the Tornado couldn't get any closer as the Lions closed out the 70-58 win at the free throw line.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- The Tornado committed only nine turnovers in the contest, their first time under 10 turnovers since February 28, 2022 when they had seven against Francis Marion University.
- King shot 33.8 percent from the floor, 17.2 percent from long range and 46.7 percent from the free throw line (7-for-15).
- Allen led the Tornado with 10 points and seven rebounds while Dunbar added nine points.
- Ellington chipped in with five points and four assists.
FOR THE FOES
- The Lions shot 38.0 from the floor and 50.0 (8-for-16) from three-point range.
- Emmanuel made more free throws than the Tornado took, going 24-for-33 from the line for a 72.7 free throw percentage.
- Sydney Wyatt led the Lions, scoring 28 points to go along with nine rebounds and three assists.
- Addie Penick added nine points and five assists while Maddie Futch scored eight points and grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds.
UP NEXT
- King returns to the court on Tuesday to take on Wingate University. Tipoff from the Student Center Complex is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
- Emmanuel is in action again on December 30 against Newberry College.
