COLUMBIA, S.C. – Tuskegee women's basketball picked up their second straight road win to start the calendar year with a 74-41 win over Benedict in Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) play inside of HRC Arena on Wednesday evening.
 
The Golden Tigers (11-3, 7-0 SIAC) started the game with a 6-0 run, led by Sumaiyah Abdur-Rahim (Grand Prairie, Texas) who scored four of the first six. Following a three-pointer from Benedict, Tuskegee clamped down defensively, outscoring the opponent 19-5 for the remainder of the opening period.
 
Leading 25-8 to start the second, the two teams traded scores to start the frame before the Golden Tigers extended their lead to 20 points at the 8:49 minute mark leading 30-10. Tuskegee continued to control the momentum and game defensively from that moment on, allowing just 11 points in the quarter and ending the first half leading 48-19.

The Golden Tigers maintained their lead in the second half, despite being outscored 13-10 in the third quarter. The largest lead of the quarter was a game-high 34 at 58-24 with 4:18 to go, however Benedict continued to reduce the deficit and finished the frame with a score of 58-32. From then on, the game remained the same, as Tuskegee closed out the fourth with a 16-9 quarter, winning by a final of 74-41.

The Golden Tigers controlled the major comparable metrics, scoring 36 points in the paint, 16 points off the bench, eight fast break points and 36 points off turnovers in the win.
 
Ashiala Jackson (Merrillville, Ind.) led Tuskegee with another double-double, finishing with game-highs of 19 points and 15 rebounds, while Abdur-Rahim continued her recent strong play, finishing with 17 points, five rebounds and three assists. Meanwhile, Nadia Thorman-Mckey (Evanston, Ill.) was the other double figure scorer with ten points and a pair of rebounds in 21 minutes.
 
Up Next
The Golden Tigers will return to play on Saturday, January 7, as they take on Kentucky State in Frankfort. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. inside of the William Exum Center.
 
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.