LAWTON, Okla. – The Cameron Aggies captures a hard-fought win in their home opener against a tough Harding squad to improve to 2-1 on the season.
CU split a pair of games on the road in Colorado over the week and returned to the Aggies Gym for their home opener in a fun mid-week non-conference tilt against Harding, who stumbled their way to 0-2 entering this game, but neither loss was more than two points for the team projected to win the Great American Conference.
The Aggies had a tough test dealing with 6'4 post player Sage Hawley who is averaging a double-double with 19 points and 15 rebounds per tilt which was good enough for the preseason GAC player of the year to earn player of the week honors within the conference.
Hawley posted 25 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, and swatted away two shots. While only missing six shots from the floor. She was a key cog in Harding winning the first frame 23-18 and dominating the third quarter when the Lady Bisons won the frame 23-8.
However, Cameron was able to stay in the contest and get over the hump with a narrow two-point win thanks to their second-quarter outburst, where they outscored Harding by 20 points.
The Aggies got great post-play in their own right with Alena Wilson, who led the team with 20 points, hauled in eight rebounds, and dished an assist on her way to shooting over 40 percent from the floor.
Korie Allensworth nailed tough bucket after tough bucket to break the dry spill in different moments for the Aggies, totaling 14 points in this one with four rebounds and two assists.
Kailyn Lay played in 37 minutes, only to be outdone by Katie King, who never left the floor, and Lay was a steady hand for the Black-and-Gold offense contributing 10 points, five assists, and three rebounds while shooting 5-for-9 from the floor.
King and Karley Miller might not have stat lines that pop, but their veteran leadership and knack for the big play helped seal this game for the Aggies. King swiped four steals, including the game-ender, while she also had six assists despite scoring just four points.
Miller had a more overall game with nine points, two blocks, two steals, and two assists making for one of her more polished games as an Aggie.
Kiara Lovings added a spark off the bench blitzing in three triples on her way to nine points and a rebound, keeping the Aggies afloat when they went ice cold in the third quarter.
Head Coach Jeff Mahoney's squad battled all night and was rewarded with a massive non-conference win over Harding. This is one of the games that will prepare CU ahead of their tough Lone Star Conference Slate, which begins at the end of the month.
Up Next, the Aggies head up I-40 to take on the University of Central Oklahoma on November 22nd at 5:30 p.m. in Edmond, Oklahoma. This will be the first time Cameron will match up against their former head coach Emma Andrews, whom current bench boss Coach Mahoney served under for the past three seasons. In a family reunion of sorts, the Bronchos roster boasts two former Aggies in Korie Boorer and Courtnee Cash, while Andrews Graduate Assistant Logan Collyer is a Black-and-Gold alumnus as well.
