LAGRANGE, Ga. – Milligan University's No. 9 ranked flag football program returned to the field after a two-week hiatus Saturday afternoon in LaGrange, Ga. The Lady Buffs played two games on the afternoon, first against NCAA DII opponent LaGrange College (Ga.), before facing another NCAA DII foe in Huntingdon College (Ala.) in the latter tilt. Milligan had previously faced Huntingdon in an early season matchup where the Buffs picked up a 39-19 victory. The gap between contests did not seem to faze the Buffs at all in game one, as they did not miss a beat, building a 39-0 lead at halftime and cruising to a 52-0 victory over LaGrange. However, the second matchup with Huntingdon required a gutsy performance with crucial plays late in the game for Milligan to pick up a 20-19 win in their toughest test of the season.

Milligan got the ball first in game one against LaGrange and were eager to get the offense going early. On the first play of the game's opening drive, a deep strike down the field set them up near the 40-yard line. They continued to march down the field, and capped the drive with a 19-yard pass and cathc to give Milligan an early 6-0 lead less than two minutes into the game. A successful triple option play on the subsequent one-point conversion extended that lead to seven.

The defense got off to an equally hot start, putting points on the board to complement the quick offensive showing. After a few short completions to start the drive, Milligan got a read on LaGrange's quarterback and came away with an interception, and took it all the way back for a pick-six to put Milligan ahead 13-0 in the early stages of the game.

It continued to be all Milligan, as an interception on the ensuing LaGrange drive kept the momentum going. Following the second interception of the game, the Buffs offense swiftly moved the ball down the field and punched it in on a short-yardage rush to put them comfortably ahead 19-0.

The offensive struggles for LaGrange continued, as Milligan's defense forced another turnover and handed the ball back to an offense that was operating at a high level. It did not take Bridget Keyser long to move the offense down the field through the air, and a touchdown pass extended the lead further. A one-point conversion made it 26-0 with no signs of slowing down.

The defensive showcase continued when, on the second play of the next drive, a third interception of the game resulted in another return for a touchdown. A point-after conversion put Milligan firmly ahead 33-0.

LaGrange went into the bag of tricks on the next drive, attempting a double pass in hopes of sparking the offense. However, Milligan was not fooled, and the result was the same. A third interception returned to the end zone extended the lead to 39-0.

The score remained 39-0 at halftime, and Milligan tacked on 13 more points in the second half to reach the 52-0 final.

Although the second game against Huntingdon was a much different affair than the opener, it got off to the same start with Milligan scoring and converting a one-point conversion to take an early 7-0 advantage.

Huntingdon answered with a lengthy drive that made it all the way into Milligan territory after two chunk plays, but a red zone stop from the Buffs kept points off the board. Milligan then went the length of the field for their second score of the day to extend the lead to 13-0.

Huntingdon showed they were not going to go away without a fight on the ensuing drive. A long rush set them up near the 40-yard line, and after going nowhere on three straight downs, a fourth-down heave to the end zone cut into the Milligan lead. A stop on the conversion attempt kept it a seven-point game at 13-6 heading into halftime.

Coming out of the break, Milligan forced a turnover with an interception on the first play. However, after making their way to the goal line, they were unable to find the end zone, keeping it a one-score game.

Both defenses played strong in the third quarter, as neither side threatened again following the opening opportunity and the score remained 13-6 heading into the final quarter.

At the start of the fourth, it was Huntingdon who broke the offensive drought by scoring a touchdown and converting the point-after to tie the game at 13 apiece.

Milligan had the answer with a five-minute drive that resulted in the go-ahead score, and a converted one-point conversion proved to be the difference. With just over five minutes remaining, the Buffs led 20-13.

Facing a seven-point deficit, Huntingdon needed a touchdown in a big way and that is exactly what they got, moving the ball down the field and completing a short pass to bring them within a point with just over a minute to play. The game came down to a one-point conversion attempt to tie it, but Milligan came away with a crucial pass breakup to seal the 20-19 victory.

With the win, Milligan (18-0) keeps their perfect record intact with only two games remaining in the regular season. The Buffs' next challenge to the undefeated season will come against Emmanuel (Ga.) on Wednesday, April 15, played on the road in Franklin, Ga. The game is set to start at 8 p.m.