DAYTON, Tenn. — On Saturday afternoon, the Milligan women's basketball team faced their toughest challenge of the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) season to date. They went up against the Bryan College Lions, who had also not lost a single AAC contest to this point in the season. The Lady Buffs would be the last undefeated team standing, following a strong 72-62 win over the Lions.
Quarter number one began with the Lions gaining an early 7-4 lead with 6:21 left to go in the period. Over the next 3:15, though, the Lady Buffs put together an 11-0 run to grab a commanding 15-7 lead. The Buffaloes didn't score again until the last second of the quarter, but held a 17-11 lead. Milligan shot 50% from the field at 7-of-14, while the Lions had just a 5-of-17 conversion rate.
After scoring the first two baskets of the second frame, Milligan led 21-11 for their first double-digit lead of the contest. Bryan would score the next five points of the period to cut the lead back down to five at 21-16 with 8:28 left. Over the next couple of minutes, the Lady Buffs stretched their lead back out to nine points at 27-18 with 6:17 to go. They led by as many as 12 points in the period, as they held a 33-21 advantage with 3:11 to go. An 8-1 run by the Lions over the last 3:04 of the period made it just a five point game, 34-29 at the break. Milligan went 8-of-18 from the floor and Bryan shot a stronger 7-of-15.
In the third, the Lady Buffs extended their lead quickly, scoring the first six points of the period to grab a 40-29 edge. Over the next four-and-a-half minutes, Milligan extended their advantage even further, matching their largest lead of the quarter at 15 points (49-34) with 3:57 left. Bryan was able to get the score back down to eight points at 49-41 with a 7-0 run over the next two minutes and change. Milligan, however, would close the period out with a 9-2 run of their own to take a 58-43 lead into the fourth frame. The Buffs were a stellar 10-of-16 from the floor, and they held the Lions to just a 5-of-15 clip.
The fourth quarter saw Bryan cut their deficit down to nine points with 5:56 to play at 61-52. From there, Milligan climbed back up to a 13-point lead at 65-52 with 4:48 to play. The Lions were unable to get back within range of the Buffs, as the contest concluded with a double-digit victory for MU, 72-62. Milligan shot just 5-of-14 in the final frame, while Bryan hit on only 7-of-17.
Leading the way on offense for the Buffs was
Semaj Clark, who scored 18 points on a strong 8-of-14 shooting line.
Kenzie Campbell had a strong game, scoring 16 points on a 6-of-10 clip, including a pair of threes.
McKenna Myers also scored in double digits, putting up 15 points on a stellar 7-of-14 shooting performance.
Clark's six assists were also the team's top distribution mark, as she continues to stuff the stat sheet. Myers and
Lina Lyon each had three assists in the contest, while the remaining two came from
Caroline Krueger.
It was another Clark double-double in this one, her seventh of the season, as she pulled in a game-high 14 rebounds.
Callie Reeder was next, hauling in five boards. Myers rebounded the rock four times,
Naomi Atchley did three times, and Campbell, Lyon,
Lexi Ervin and Krueger had two.
Makenzie Bremer brought in one.
Four steals and two blocks were recorded by the Buffaloes' defense, as Lyon's two thefts led the charge. Clark and Myers both had a steal, and Bremer and Reeder each rejected a shot.
Following a huge victory, the Lady Buffs (11-6, 10-0 AAC) will be back in action Wednesday, Jan. 14 when they return home for their first home conference game of 2026. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. against the Truett McConnell University (Ga.) Bears.
