ATLANTA, Ga. – Spring Hill College women's basketball dropped its first road contest in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), falling at Clark Atlanta University, 76-65, on New Year's Eve at L.S. Epps Gymnasium.
After falling behind 6-2, Tiffany Valentine scored three straight baskets for the Badgers to tie the game, 8-8, midway through the first quarter. It proved to be part of a 9-2 run for Spring Hill to push in front, 13-8 with 2:15 to play in the opening period.
Kate Krout gave Spring Hill its largest lead of the game, 17-10, before Nailah Mawusi Mitchell hit a 3 to close the first quarter and one to open the second quarter. She later blocked a shot, grabbed the rebound and scored on a fast break layup for a personal 8-0 run to put Clark-Atlanta back in front, 18-17.
While Angel Benson hit a pair of free throws to briefly put SHC back in the lead, Reyana Miller sank 2-of-4 free throws on consecutive trips to the line for CAU. Clark maintained its lead over the next six minutes to go into halftime up, 36-32.
Valentine was dominant as usual, scoring 24 points on 53 percent shooting and matching her career-high 16 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season. It's her eighth 20-point performance in 12 games. Daja Walker followed with nine points and a career-high eight rebounds, but CAU held the rest of the Badger at bay. Elise Reilly dished out six assists.
Spring Hill hung close through the first 13 minutes of the second half, but was unable to rally back from a 14-6 run that pushed the Panthers' lead to double-digits, 67-56, with less than two minutes to play.
The Badgers' shooting was slowed to 31 percent in the second half, while Clark-Atlanta (2-11, 1-4 SIAC) shut down Spring Hill from 3-point range, 1-of-16, in the game.
Three Clark Atlanta players flirted with 20 points. Freshman guard Reagan Jackson led the Panthers with a career-high 22 points, while Reyana Miller and Mitchell each scored 18. Miller and I'Nayah Moore each grabbed nine boards and Mitchell had a season-high eight rebounds and two blocks.
Spring Hill (5-7, 1-2 SIAC) will return home Saturday, Jan. 5 to host Albany State University at 5:30 p.m. in Arthur R. Outlaw Center.
