Lady Wolves Open Season with Two Straight Road Wins

WESSON – The Co-Lin Women's Basketball team hit the road for back-to-back games to start the season facing off against Holmes on Saturday, November 1, and then Phillips on Monday, November 3. The Lady Wolves overcame an early deficit against the Lady Bulldogs to win, 68-66, while they dominated the Lady Ridge Runners for a 97-57 victory.

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The Lady Bulldogs outscored the Lady Wolves, 18-10, in the first quarter to hold a lead by that margin. The Lady Wolves responded in the second quarter outscoring the Lady Bulldogs, 20-12, to tie the game at 30-30 at halftime.

In the third quarter, the Lady Bulldogs outscored the Lady Wolves, 17-16, to hold a 47-46 lead. However, the Lady Wolves found a response in the fourth quarter as they outscored the Lady Bulldogs, 22-19, to take the 68-66 victory.

The Lady Wolves had four players in double digit scoring as Akeelah Hobson (Oakdale, Louisiana) led the way for the Lady Wolves with 20 points, seven rebounds, and four assists while Zion Nelson (Byram) had 15 points with seven rebounds while Kamaiyah Pruitt (Pass Christian) added 11 points with seven rebounds and Amari Barnes (Tylertown) had 10 points.

Jalynn Applewhite (Gulfport) had seven points, Kylinn Bell (Choctaw) had four points, and Eymani Key (Lafayette, Louisiana) had one point to round out the scoring for the Lady Wolves.

"I was proud to get the first win of the season on the road against a tough opponent we will see again in conference play," stated Co-Lin head coach Dr. Britta Stephens Belanger.

"We outrebounded Holmes which gave us numerous second chance opportunities," added Stephens Belanger "Those were crucial, especially in the first half when we didn't shoot the ball well. Akeelah Hobson had a fantastic first game as a Lady Wolf and was excellent in transition all day. Kam Pruitt was also very good while Zion Nelson had the best game she's had since we started practice."

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The Lady Wolves defense made a huge impact in the first quarter as they held the Lady Ridge Runners scoreless while the Lady Wolves scored 18 to hold an 18-0 lead at the end of play. The Lady Wolves then outscored the Lady Ridge Runners, 23-22, in the second quarter to push their lead to 41-22 at halftime.

The Lady Wolves continued their show of force in the second half as they won the third quarter, 34-14 to push their lead to 75-36. The Lady Wolves then finished out the game by outscoring the Lady Ridge Runners, 22-21, to secure the 97-57 victory.

"This was a great team win," stated Stephens Belanger. "Every player on our team was able to score and positively contribute to our success. The numbers that I am most proud of are our 22 assists and only nine turnovers."

The Lady Wolves had three players in double digit scoring figures with two of those having double-double performances as Eymani Key led the way with 21 points and 10 rebounds while Kamaiyah Pruitt had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Jalynn Applewhite added 10 points with three rebounds, one assist, and one block.

Zion Nelson narrowly missed a double-double as she had nine points and a team-leading 12 rebounds along with four blocks while Akeelah Hobson and Tyra Johnson (Morton) added eight points with Hobson adding seven rebounds, four assists, and one steal to her night while Johnson had two rebounds, two assists, and one block. Kailyn Willis (Philadelphia) and Amari Barnes had seven points each while Zariah Hatten (Taylorsville) and Kylinn Bell had four points each and Maddison Mitchell (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) had two points to round out the scoring for the Lady Wolves.

"We played very unselfishly all night and got the ball to the open player in situations where they could successfully score," added Stephens Belanger. "69 total rebounds allowed us to get 93 field goal attempts. Our team crashed the boards with vengeance, and it showed throughout the whole game."

"Eymani Key was outstanding shooting 53 percent from the field and adding ten rebounds," said Stephens Belanger. "Jalynn Applewhite also had a very good game for us in the post while Kam Pruitt added in a big double-double performance. Kam's work in the offseason has transformed her into a completely different player and our team is better because of that."

Co-Lin is 2-0 on the season and will be back in action hosting East Central on Thursday, November 6. Tip-off between the Lady Warriors and Lady Wolves is set for 5:30 p.m., at Mullen Gym in Wesson.