BECKLEY, W.Va. -- Siena Heights junior guard Sha'kyia Parker scored a career-high 26 points in a 75-66 loss at WVU Tech on Sunday afternoon. The Saints' (13-4) late push with a 12-point deficit fell short as the Golden Bears recaptured the lead in the second quarter and never looked back.
Parker was 7-16 from the floor and 4-8 from three to lead the Saints in scoring. Allye Minor registered 14 points, five assists, and four rebounds in the losing effort. Anaya Powell was the third SHU player with double-digit points as she scored 12 on 5-13 shooting. Eva Alcock led on the boards with six rebounds for the game. Olivia DeLong and E'Anna Won each tallied five rebounds in the contest.
The teams traded baskets to tie the score at two and four points in the opening four minutes of the game. The Saints took their first lead with a three-point jumper by Parker at 5:25 that put the score at 7-6 for the visitors. Four free throws, two from Alcock and two from Natalie Tucker, extended the lead to 11-6, with 3:27 remaining in the opening frame. WVU Tech made its first field goal in over three minutes to cut the lead to 11-8, but SHU pushed ahead with four-straight points to take a 15-8 lead in the closing minute. A free throw put the score at 15-9 as the game moved into the second.
The Golden Bears began the second quarter with a 17-0 run as the Saints were held scoreless for the first 7:40 of the quarter. Powell hit a three-point jumper at 2:20 to cut the deficit to nine points, but WVU Tech responded with a three of their own to go back up by 11 points, 29-18. A three by Minor was followed by two free throws from Parker as SHU moved within six points (29-23) as the teams entered the locker room at the half.
The margin hovered between six and 11 points for the majority of the third quarter. A jumper by the Golden Bears gave them their largest lead of the game, 52-40, with 1:06 left on the clock in the third stanza. Powell made a jumper, and Parker followed with three free throws to end the third with a 52-45 advantage for the home team.
Parker hit a three that sparked a 5-0 run, and the Saints drew within three points of tying the game, 62-59, with 6:22 left in regulation. Parker hit another three with 5:42 on the clock to bring the score to 64-62. A turnover by WVU Tech forced the Golden Bears to call a timeout. Powell then hit a layup to knot things up at 64 with 3:54 remaining on the clock. However, Siena Heights missed the four shot attempts as WVU Tech pulled ahead for a 70-64 lead with just under 1:30 left to play. Powell hit a jump shot to trail by just four points with 1:21 left, and the Saints were forced to foul to preserve time. The Golden Bears made five of their last seven free-throw attempts to hold on for the win.
Up Next
The Saints return to competition in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) with a road contest against Lourdes on Wednesday, January 5. The game with the Grey Wolves is set to tip at 5:30 p.m.
