TUSKEGEE, Ala. – Tuskegee women's basketball (4-1, 2-0 SIAC) returned from a short break in their schedule to defeat Fort Valley State on Saturday afternoon inside of the Daniel "Chappie" James Arena for Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC).
 
The first half was a back-and-forth affair for both teams, with Fort Valley State scoring the first basket of the game before a response from Brittney Bolin (Trophy Club, Texas) for her first of five threes during the contest.
 
The teams remained tight through the first media timeout, as Nadia Thorman-Mckey (Evanston, Ill.) put the Golden Tigers up 12-9 with just over five minutes to go and saw the score at 14-12 Tuskegee at the media with 3:16 to go in the opening quarter.
 
With a 16-16 tie on the final possession of the quarter, Fort Valley State scored to beat the buzzer to go up 18-16 heading into the second.
 
The second quarter played out in similar fashion, with neither program gaining a significant advantage through the quarter. The Wildcats gained a six-point lead with just over seven minutes to play in the half, however Bolin sank another three moments later to reduce the deficit and keep the game close, ending the second trailing 36-35.
 
After finding themselves down five early in the third, Tuskegee climbed back with Thorman-Mckey scoring five unanswered to tie the ball game at 40-40, and they eventually took a short lead after a pair of free throws from Bolin.
 
Just over halfway through the third quarter, JuToreyia Willis (Chattanooga, Tenn.) recorded consecutive steals in the back court and gave Tuskegee a 45-42 lead, helping gain momentum that they continued to carry throughout the period. The Golden Tigers did not trail again from that point on as they controlled the final quarter, stretching the lead to as much as 15 on their way to the win.
 
Bolin led the game with a season-high 22 points to go with four assists and three rebounds. Meanwhile, three other Golden Tigers finished in double figures, with Thorman-McKey at 19 points and six rebounds, followed by Willis who put up 15 points, a career-high eight steals, seven assists along with six rebounds to continue her well-rounded play. Arielle McElroy (Bolingbrook, Ind.) was the final double figure scorer, putting up 11 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals in the win.
 
The Golden Tigers controlled many of the comparable metrics, outscoring Fort Valley State 16-12 in fast break points, 34-26 on points in the paint, and 30-20 in point off turnovers and 16-9 in second chance points.
 
Up Next
Tuskegee will host Albany State on Monday evening for the second consecutive SIAC doubleheader inside of Daniel "Chappie" James Arena, with tip-off set for 5:30 p.m.
 
Follow The Golden Tigers on Socials
Stay connected with Tuskegee Women's Basketball on Twitter (@Tuskegee_WBB) and Instagram (@tuskegeewbb).  For complete coverage of Tuskegee University athletics, follow on social media at @MyTUAthletics (Twitter/Instagram), @GoldenTigerSports on Facebook, and visit the official home of Tuskegee University athletics at www.goldentigersports.com.