By Alan Wiederhold
HT Athletic Communications
AUSTIN – Huston-Tillotson University's women's basketball team was unsuccessful in its quest for the Rams' first HBCU Athletic Conference win Thursday as Tougaloo (Miss.) College claimed a 73-61 victory at Branch Gymnasium.
The visiting Bulldogs (2-5, 1-2 HBCUAC) turned in their best shooting and ball-control performances of the season as they led for more than 37 minutes and stunned the host Rams in HT's only home contest in the month of December.
Desinty Stanford scored a team-high 18 points and handed out five assists for the Rams (3-5, 0-3 HBCUAC).
Wilashia Burleson, the leading scorer and rebounder in the HBCUAC, scored 15 points and pulled in 15 rebounds for HT, while teammate
Xaria Culver chipped in 13 points.
Shalayne Morgan scored a game-high 19 points off the Tougaloo College bench, leading four Bulldog players scoring at least 10 points in the game.
Tougaloo took early control of the game early by scoring the first six points and the game, then finished the opening period with 13 unanswered points over the final three and a half minutes of the frame. The Bulldogs then outscored HT 12-3 over the first six minutes of the second quarter to establish a comfortable 36-14 advantage.
NOTEWORTHY:
• HT freshman forward
Hayley Broussard scored four points in her Branch Gymnasium basketball debut. Broussard, an all-HBCUAC volleyball honoree at HT, joined the basketball team in time for the start of conference play Nov. 22.
• Tougaloo came into Thursday's game giving up the most turnovers per contest in the HBCUAC, but only gave the ball away 19 times against HT, a season low.
• The Rams shot a season-high 35.3 percent (6 of 17) from 3-point range Thursday. However, they are 0-2 in games when they shoot for a higher percentage from the 3-point arc.
UP NEXT:
The Rams play their first of seven consecutive December road games Wednesday, Dec. 10, when they visit former Red River Athletic Conference opponent St. Thomas in Houston. An NCAA Division III program since 2019, UST is coming off a win at home over ranked East Texas Baptist on Nov. 29.
Tipoff at UST's Jerabeck Center between the Rams and Celts is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday.
– HT –
