Box Score FRANKFORT, Ky. – The Spring Hill College (SHC) women's basketball team could not hold on to a late lead in a 64-61 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) loss at Kentucky State University (KSU) on Thursday evening at the Exum Center.

Spring Hill scored the first six point of the game, but the Thorobrettes (9-4, 5-2 SIAC West) rallied to take a 10-8 lead off two free throws by Taylor Sanders with 15 minutes left in the 1st half and grew the KSU lead to 20-14 by the 11 minute mark.

With 14 minutes gone in the game, SHC was shooting 60% (9-15), but trailed 31-21 as nine turnovers stopped several scoring opportunities for the Badgers. Just two minutes later, however, strong Badger defensive rebounding resulted in a 7-point run to cut the deficit down to 31-28.

KSU claimed a 38-31 advantage at halftime, but once again the Badgers launched a furious assault to open the next stanza and cut the score to 40-37 two minutes into the 2nd half. A steal by sophomore forward Alishia Drayton then led to a 3-pointer by junior guard Armanee Broussard that tied the game at 40-40 with 17:30 on the clock. Sophomore center Leah Washington gave SHC back the lead at 42-40 with a layup at 15:47 as the momentum was definitely on the Badger side of the court.

The teams traded baskets for the next five minutes as SHC maintained a 50-48 lead with 11 minutes to play. KSU took a brief 53-52 lead, but freshman guard Jennifer Clark drained a 3-pointer from the left side to put SHC back on top 55-53 at 7:32. Shayla Moore of KSU responded with a trey of her own on the other end of the floor that SHC sophomore forward Camry Johnson answered with two free throws to keep the Badgers up 59-58 with 3:08 to play.

With one minute to play and the Badgers up 61-58, Shaia Horton sank two free throws for KSU to pull the Thorobrettes within one point. Horton then took away a steal with 30 seconds left, but missed a jumper on the other end that Johnson corralled for the Badgers. Two missed free throws and a turnover by SHC then led to a go-ahead layup by Logan Powell of KSU with 15 seconds left. Horton would ice the game for the home team with two free throws nine seconds later as SHC failed to get off a shot in the final six seconds.

Washington led a balanced SHC offensive attack with 12 points and eight rebounds as Spring Hill shot 48.1 (25-52) from the field and 33.3% (4-12) from 3-point distance. The Badgers dominated the boards 40-27, but suffered 22 turnovers off 14 steals by the high-pressure KSU defense.

Horton scored 16 for the Thorobrettes as Moore added 11 to the tally sheet of KSU who shot 43.6% (24-55) overall and 25% (2-8) in 3-point attempts. KSU lost 14 turnovers to seven Badger steals.

The Badgers (8-8, 5-3 SIAC West) next travel to Jackson, Tenn., for a 2 p.m. game with the Lane College Lady Dragons (0-12, 0-6 SIAC West) on Saturday at J.F. Lane Gymnasium.