Lady Buffs improve to 9-1 as Buffs split with Rams
Published 7:24 pm Thursday, December 7, 2023
SP1208 Buffs split with Rams 1 Star Photo/Ron Marvel Renna Lane takes the layup attempt in 4th-period action.
Star Photo/Ron Marvel After grabbing the offensive rebound, Lauren Longmire looks to rest the offense.
Star Photo/Ron Marvel Finn McClure drives through the paint for the layup; he would finish the night with 14 points.
Star Photo/Ron Marvel Soaring through the air, Follie Bogan scored 2 of his 20 points.
Star Photo/Ron Marvel Ducking the defender Lincoln Thomae kisses the ball off the glass for the bucket.
Star Photo/Ron Marvel Milligan Point guard Finn McClure patiently waits as the play develops.
Star Photo/Ron Marvel Jaz Johnson gets a hand in and jars the ball loose for a steal.
Star Photo/Ron Marvel Power Forward River McCaskill hustles for the loose ball.
Star Photo/Ron Marvel The Buffs keep up the quick pace of the game as Lincoln Thomae sprints down the floor.
Star Photo/Ron Marvel Freshmen guard Lina Lyon locates an open teammate at the bottom of the arc.
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By Ron Marvel
Star Correspondent
Women’s- Milligan 71 CIU 34
The Rams of Columbia International came in with a game plan to take the tempo to a snail’s pace. It worked for half a quarter as the Lady Buffs went on an 8-0 run to end the quarter and go up 15-7. The Lady Buffs would extend the lead to 36-18 going into the locker room as Semaj Clark hit a couple of 3-pointers and the route was on.
As has been the case numerous times this young season, Milligan turned up the defensive pressure in the 3rd period, outscoring CIU 25-1. Lauren Longmire scored 10 points, and Halie Padget chipped in 8 as the Lady Buffs pushed their lead to 62-19. Longmire finished the night with 22 points while Clark and Padgett both chipped in 12. Milligan got 25 points off its bench, and many reserves received valuable minutes.
After the game, Head Coach Kylie Russell Greer talked about the team’s status as her team improved to 9-1 on the season. “We need to make sure we get our starters engaged. We haven’t played a close game in weeks; we have to hold ourselves accountable in these games and do the right things to stay engaged.” Even though the team is undefeated in conference play, Coach Greer sees room for improvement. “Over the next few weeks, we are playing some very good teams including 2 top 25 teams over Christmas break in Montana. We want to make a statement nationally and creep into the rankings. We haven’t shot the 3 well so that is a point of emphasis. We are going to be challenged big time the rest of this month,” Greer shared. The Lady Buffs will travel to Bryan College on Saturday to play the 7-4 Lions who are also undefeated in conference play.
Men’s- CIU 98 Milligan 83
Milligan fell to a one-loss CIU team in a game that was close until the final minutes. Both teams traded the lead in the first half as both teams shot above 52%. CIU would go on a 6-0 lead in the final minute of the first half to take a 44-39 lead before Finn McClure hit a short jumper in the paint to close out the half with the Buffs trailing 44-41.
The Rams would go on an 11-4 run to open the half and pushed their lead to 61-49. The Buffs would cut the lead in the second half to 5 several times, but CIU would go 9 of 10 in the closing minutes to pad their lead. Milligan Men’s squad fell to 4-6 on the season and 4-4 in the AAC. Follie Bogan scored 20 in the game while Lincoln Thomae added 15. Milligan will host Bryan College (4-6) on Saturday at 4 pm.
