A slow start doomed Spring Hill College in an 83-55 loss to Benedict College in a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game at the Arthur R. Outlaw Recreation Center Monday afternoon.
Benedict (8-3, 3-0) - which had lost two straight non-conference games coming into Monday's contest - scored the first seven points of the game before
Tiffany Valentine made a free throw 2:28 into the contest to get Spring Hill (5-6, 1-1) on the board. Valentine's layup with 5:41 to go in the quarter got the Badgers back to within 14-8, but Benedict continued to extend its lead and held a 24-13 advantage after the opening 10 minutes.
Kate Hammond drained a 3-pointer early in the second period to keep Spring Hill within 27-18, but Benedict then held the Badgers without a field goal for the next 6:44, allowing the Tigers to make a 22-3 run to go up 49-21 and take a 51-23 lead into halftime.
Spring Hill was hampered by 8-of-30 (26.7 percent) shooting in the first half, including just 2-for-15 (13.3 percent) from 3-point range. The Badgers also had 12 turnovers and were outrebounded, 30-18, in the first 20 minutes.
The Badgers showed some fight in the third quarter, outscoring Benedict, 22-13, in the quarter to get to within 64-45 going into the fourth quarter.
Audrey Cox made a free throw with 3:34 to go to get Spring Hill as close as 17 points, at 70-53, but Benedict finished the game with a 13-2 run to reassert itself and remain unbeaten in the SIAC.
Valentine led Spring Hill with 11 points and nine rebounds. Hammond had 10 points and Ector had eight points and three steals for the Badgers. Spring Hill finished the game 19-for-53 (35.8 percent) from the field, making only 4 of its 22 3-point attempts (18.2 percent). Benedict won the rebounding battle, 49-33, and forced the Badgers into making 26 turnovers.
The Tigers - who made 11-of-23 (47.8 percent) from long range and had 12 players score in the game - were led by a pair of players with 18 points. Ayanna Armstead - who made five 3-pointers - had 18 with five rebounds and three steals, while Ay'anna Bey had a double-double with 18, 12 rebounds and two steals.
Spring Hill is now off until New Year's Eve, when the Badgers travel to Atlanta, Ga., to take on Clark Atlanta University in another SIAC contest. Tipoff in L.S. Epps Gymnasium is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Central time.
