EVERGREEN, Ala. - Coastal Alabama - North Women's Basketball earned a hard-fought conference road victory over Reid State Tech (Ala.) on Thursday night, Jan. 29, defeating the Lions 68-55 to complete the regular-season sweep between the two programs. Coastal - North sees the overall record improve to 9-13 following the win, while the ACCC record moves back to .500 at 4-4. The Coyotes currently sit in fourth place of the ACCC Division II Women's Basketball standings.

Taylor's Double-Double, Strong Bench Play Leads to W

Despite trailing 19-12 after the first quarter, Coastal - North kept poise and battled back throughout the first half, only trailing by four (32-28) at halftime. In the second half, it was all Coastal as the Coyotes held the home team to just 14 points in the third frame and nine points in the fourth, while scoring 25 points alone in the third quarter. For good measure, Coastal - North finished with 15 fourth-quarter points to secure the 13-point victory.

The 'Yotes used a complete team effort to secure the win on Thursday, grabbing an impressive 48 rebounds and turning in 17 assists as a team. Additionally, Coastal - North shot 41.7% from the floor (30-of-72) and forced 14 steals defensively. Despite shooting just 12.5% from three-point range and 38.9% from the free-throw line, the Coyotes controlled the rebounding battle and created extra possessions to maintain control throughout the contest.

Saije Taylor led the way with 18 points on 8-of-16 shooting while pulling down a double-double with 10 rebounds. Taylor also added two assists and two steals in a strong all-around performance in the paint from the sophomore. Joy Minnifield provided a spark off the bench, finishing with 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including a three-pointer. She also contributed six assists and three steals, helping control the tempo and create scoring opportunities for her teammates.

Meanwhile, Tamira Smalls was also an asset off the bench, adding 10 points on an efficient 5-of-7 shooting night and tallying six rebounds, while Ariel Gilchrist filled up the stat sheet with seven points, eight rebounds, five assists and five steals. Jamonica Miller chipped in seven rebounds and four points off the bench, further strengthening Coastal's advantage on the boards. 

With the victory, Coastal Alabama - North secures the season sweep over Reid State and continues to build momentum in conference play as the postseason approaches.

Monday Road Contest in Enterprise

The Coyotes' stretch of three-straight road games wraps up next Monday, Feb. 2, with Coastal - North traveling to Enterprise, Ala. for a conference matchup against Enterprise State (Ala.). Monday's game is set for 5:00 p.m. CT as the 'Yotes look for the regular season sweep over the Boll Weevils.

 

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