Lady Tigers fall on the road at Oakwood

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — A decisive third-quarter surge and hot outside shooting sent Voorhees University to an 84-60 road loss to Oakwood (Ala.) on Saturday evening at Ashby Auditorium.

Oakwood built a double-digit lead in the first half and broke the game open out of the locker room, using an 26-point third quarter to put the contest out of reach. The hosts finished 11-of-23 from beyond the arc and turned 18 offensive rebounds into second-chance opportunities, offsetting a nearly identical overall field-goal percentage between the teams.

Voorhees trailed 18-9 after the first quarter and 43-27 at halftime as Oakwood repeatedly connected from long range. A late first-quarter 3-pointer from Kamaria Murray stretched Oakwood’s early cushion to 18-9, and another Murray triple pushed the margin to 41-21 late in the second quarter. The Tigers generated better looks in the half-court after the break but could not fully slow Oakwood’s perimeter attack or keep the hosts off the glass.

The third quarter proved decisive. Oakwood outscored the Tigers 26-15 in the frame to extend its advantage to 69-42. A fastbreak layup from Morgan Bone off a feed from Shaniya Sanders made it 64-33 during the run, highlighting a stretch in which Oakwood turned turnovers and long rebounds into transition chances. Voorhees finished with 28 turnovers against Oakwood’s pressure, while the hosts committed 17.

Guard Shykiera Brown led Voorhees with an all-around performance, totaling 8 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals while logging 39 minutes. Fellow guard Nedisha Ford also scored 8 points, going 4-of-6 at the foul line and adding 5 rebounds and 4 assists. The Tigers got a late boost from the perimeter as well, with Caitlin Bowling knocking down a 3-pointer in the final seconds to close the scoring and cap an 18-point fourth quarter for Voorhees.

As a team, the Tigers shot 37.5 percent from the field (21-of-56), including 6-of-19 from 3-point range, and 70.6 percent at the free-throw line (12-of-17). Voorhees finished with 32 total rebounds, 15 assists and 6 steals, showing flashes of ball movement and defensive activity, particularly in the second and fourth quarters.

Oakwood was paced by Trenisha Adams’ 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including 5-of-8 from 3-point range, while Murray added 13 points and 6 assists. The hosts shot 37.3 percent overall (28-of-75) but maximized their attempts with 11 3-pointers, 17 made free throws and a 46-32 edge on the boards.

The Tigers will look to build on Brown’s playmaking, Ford’s composure at the line and the team’s late offensive push as they continue through the road portion of the schedule and seek to tighten ball security and rebounding in upcoming games.