FAIRFIELD, Ala. – The Tuskegee women's basketball team (17-3, 14-0 SIAC) continued to show their dominance in conference play with a 76-68 win over rival Miles on Saturday afternoon inside the Knox-Windham Gym.
 
After both sides failed to convert offensively on their opening possessions, Arielle McElroy (Bolingbrook, Ill.) started the scoring off with a three on the second trip down for Tuskegee before a three in response from the Golden Bears a minute into play.
 
Forward Ashiala Jackson (Merrillville, Ind.) gave the Golden Tigers the edge again soon after for a short time, as Miles retook the lead at 8-7 on a fast break score with 5:42 to go in the first.
 
From there, the teams went back-and-forth until Miles used a run to go up six at 18-12 with a minute to play and the Golden Tigers trailed 18-13 heading into the second.
 
Miles stretched their lead to eight early in the second before Jackson scored on consecutive trips inside to get Tuskegee back within four at 21-17 with 8:16 to play in the period. Later in the quarter, the Golden Tigers gained a 23-22 lead after six unanswered points, yet the advantage was short-lived as Miles closed the half with a 36-33 lead despite runs from Tuskegee and a pair of lead changes.
 
Tuskegee fought back in the third to regain a 39-38 lead a few minutes into the third and later at 44-43, both on scores from McElroy before finding the game tied at 45-45 with just over five minutes in the period.
 
The Golden Tigers pushed on, retaking the lead with a jumper from JuToreyia Willis (Chattanooga, Tenn.) and closing the third up 55-50 after holding Miles to just one more field goal in the frame.
 
Tuskegee went up double figures, 60-50, early after the break with Brittney Bolin (Trophy Club, Texas) opening the quarter with a three, while Nadia Thorman-Mckey (Evanston, Ill.) scored inside with a free throw.
 
They later gained a game-high 12-point lead before a run from the Golden Bears reduced the lead to six with 3:20 remaining. Meanwhile, the Golden Tigers staved off the run with a response of their own, reclaiming a 74-64 lead with under a minute to play and closed out the game at the charity stripe for the 76-66 win.
 
Jackson led four double figure scorers for Tuskegee with a standout performance, scoring 22 points and grabbing a career-high 20 rebounds in the win. She was followed by Thorman-Mckey with 13 points and eight boards, along with McElroy and Willis who finished with 12 points and 11 points respectively.
 
Up Next
The Golden Tigers will head to Jackson, Tenn. next weekend as they continue a four-game road stint to face Lane College on Saturday, February 4. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. inside of J F Lane Gym.
 
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.