TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – An even first quarter for the Stillman College women's basketball team and the visiting Rust College Bearcats gave way to a double-digit victory for the Tigers. Stillman defeated Rusr 64-50 Saturday afternoon in Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference action in Birthright Alumni Hall. 

Stillman improved to 6-5 overall and 3-1 in the HBCUAC, while Rust dropped to 7-9 and 3-1 in the conference. 

Rapid Recap:

Neither team could push far ahead in the opening quarter. The Bearats owned the largest lead in the first after a layup from Talyia Cawthon made the score 11-7 with 3:19 left. However, less than a minute later, the score was tied following a jumper from Jaida Minter and a layup from Chayce Matthews. A layup from Minter with a second left moved the score to 15-15 at the quarter break. 

In the second, Stillman surged ahead with a 22-8 edge in the period. The Tigers opened the quarter with a 9-0 run, capped by free throws from Minter. The lead grew steadily in the period, and a layup from Jordan Harris clinched a 37-23 advantage heading to the break. 

Stillman continued to dominate in the third quarter and led by as much as 21 points after a three from Minter made the score 48-21 with 3:14 on the clock. Rust put together a run to end the period, and a Cawthon layup with 16 seconds remaining cut the lead to 50-35 heading to the final 10 minutes. 

The Tigers led by 16 points on two occasions in the fourth, with the final time coming after a jumper from Kameryn Davidson with 6:33 to go in the game. The lead dipped to 12 with 43 seconds left, but a layup from Tanyah Lockhart with 10 seconds left gave Stillman the 64-50 final score. 

Notes and Numbers:

-Jaida Minter led all scorers with 22 points and added four assists, two rebounds and two steals. 
-Jayla Young West grabbed six rebounds to lead on the boards, but Mya Jones, Tanyah Lockhart and Tyeesha Slaughter all grabbed five rebounds. 

Up Next:

Stillman College is off for the holiday break and resumes game action on Monday, Jan. 5, with a trip to Pulaski, Tennessee, to face the University of Tennessee Southern, starting at 5:30 p.m.