TUSKEGEE, Ala. – Hilani Cantone and
La'Dajah Huguley weren't ready for the season to end.
With Tuskegee University down 38-25 to Albany State early in the third quarter Saturday afternoon in the first round of the SIAC Basketball Championships presented by Cricket, Cantone and Huguley came alive.
The Golden Tigers' dynamic duo combined for 33 points over the final 18 minutes to power Tuskegee to a dominating 73-53 victory inside Daniel "Chappie" James Arena.
Cantone scored 21 of her 26 points in the last two quarters and grabbed 11 rebounds, finishing with her first double-double of the season. She was 9-of-18 from the field, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, and 5-of-7 from the free throw line in 33 minutes.
Huguley scored 12 of her 14 points in the last two quarters and had six rebounds, three assists and a steal in 30 minutes. She was 7-of-9 from the field.
Brittney Bolin was solid, finishing with 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals, while
Cynaye Bobbitt scored 10 points and grabbed three rebounds.
Tuskegee, the No. 2 seed in the West Division, improved to 18-9 overall with its third straight win. Albany State, the No. 7 seed in the East Division, ended its season 8-18.
With the win, the Golden Tigers advanced to the semifinals where they will play Spring Hill College, the No. 6 seed in the West Division, Thursday at 1 p.m. at Forbes Arena in Atlanta. Tuskegee swept the season series in a pair of hard-fought games.
Tuskegee trailed 34-25 at halftime and it was 38-25 after Albany State scored the first four points of the third quarter.
However, behind Cantone, Huguley and Bobbitt, the Golden Tigers closed the quarter with an 18-5 run to pull even at 43-43.
It was all Tuskegee from that point on.
The Golden Tigers outscored the Golden Rams 30-10 in the fourth quarter to win going away.
Tuskegee dominated the game in a number of categories.
The Golden Tigers outrebounded the Golden Rams 51-30, including 19-7 on the offensive end, had a 24-11 advantage in points off turnovers, and a 40-26 edge in points in the paint.
After halftime, Tuskegee outscored Albany State 48-19.
Tuskegee shot 42.4 percent (28-of-66) from the field, including 33.3 percent (6-of-18) from 3-point range, and 61.1 percent (11-of-18) from the free throw line.
Keyra Peterson led Albany State with 15 points. Kendall Davis finished with 10.
The Golden Rams shot 35.2 percent (19-of-54) from the field, including 18.2 percent (2-of-11) from beyond the arc, and 76.5 percent (13-of-17) from the charity stripe.
Up Next
Tuskegee will now head to Forbes Arena in Atlanta for the next matchup. The Golden Tigers will face Spring Hill in the quarterfinal round, with game time set for 2 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 6.
How to Follow the Golden Tigers
For complete information on Tuskegee Golden Tigers Women's Basketball, visit
GoldenTigerSports.com and follow the team's social media channels on
Twitter,
Instagram and
Facebook.
