Austn College Stays Hot in Road Win at Centenary

SHREVEPORT, La. - The Austin College women's basketball team used a suffocating defensive effort and a dominant third-quarter surge to extend its winning streak to five games, defeating Centenary College 66-41 on Friday evening at the Gold Dome.

The 'Roos improved to 10-8 overall and 7-2 in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play with the victory. Austin College limited the Ladies (3-14, 2-6) to just 31.1% shooting from the field and forced 21 turnovers, converting those takeaways into 31 points.

Avory Miller and Lexi Martin led a balanced scoring attack for Austin College with 11 points apiece. Miller filled the stat sheet, adding five assists, two rebounds, and two steals, while Martin did damage from beyond the arc, draining 3-of-5 three-point attempts and swiping three steals.

After falling behind 3-0 in the opening minutes, the 'Roos responded with a run to take control, leading 20-8 by the end of the first quarter. While Centenary managed to find some offensive rhythm in the second period, Austin College maintained a comfortable margin, taking a 35-18 lead into halftime behind efficient shooting and aggressive perimeter defense.

The 'Roos put the game out of reach immediately after the break. Austin College opened the third quarter on a blistering 14-1 run, holding the Ladies without a field goal for nearly the first six minutes of the half. A jumper by Miller capped the run, extending the lead to 49-19 with 5:03 remaining in the period. The 'Roos led by as many as 31 points late in the quarter following an Emma Potts bucket to make it 51-20 with just over four minutes left in the frame.

Austin College's depth was a factor throughout the contest, with the bench contributing 26 points. Brooklyn Matthews chipped in seven points, five rebounds, and two blocks, while Kaylee Smith added seven points off the bench. Trinity Williams finished with five points and two assists. For Centenary, Amiyah Barrow led all scorers with 12 points and grabbed six rebounds. Kyra Stokes added 10 points and six boards for the Ladies.

The 'Roos shot 40.0% from the field (22-of-55) and 36.8% from three-point range, while holding a significant advantage in points in the paint (26-12). Austin College will be looking to stay hot on Saturday as they head to Longview to take on LeTourneau University in another conference tilt.