MARYVILLE, Tenn. – The Maryville College women's basketball team battled throughout but couldn't overcome a fourth-quarter deficit on Friday afternoon, falling 65–58 to LaGrange College inside Cooper Athletic Center.
The loss drops the Scots to 10-8 overall and 6-4 in Collegiate Conference of the South play, while LaGrange improves to 12-6 on the season and 8-1 in conference action. The defeat snaps a five-game winning streak for Maryville.
Junior guard Emily Wilson led the Scots with 16 points on 4-of-13 shooting, adding six free throws and three steals. Junior guard Ella Tharpe followed with 14 points on an efficient 6-of-10 shooting, including a pair of three-pointers, while junior forward Kadence Stoner contributed 12 points and 11 rebounds for her ninth double-double of the season.
For LaGrange, Amanda McLendon proved to be the difference-maker with a game-high 19 points on 9-of-17 shooting, grabbing 10 rebounds to pace the Panthers. Laila Battle added 22 points and knocked down crucial free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.
Head coach Darrin Travillian knew the battle on the boards would be critical coming into the game.
"The big thing for us was we knew the boards were going to be huge, and they got us on the boards by 12," Travillian said. "We held them to 10 offensive boards, which is a pretty good job—they averaged about 17—but we only got eight. We've got to go get a few more, especially on a day where we didn't shoot it really well."
The opening half was a tightly contested defensive battle, with neither team able to establish control. LaGrange jumped out to an early 4–0 lead, but Wilson connected on a three-pointer to get Maryville on the board. The Panthers extended their advantage to 11–5 midway through the first quarter before the Scots clawed back, trimming the deficit to 14–12 at the end of the opening period.
The second quarter saw both offenses struggle to find rhythm. Tharpe provided a spark for Maryville, scoring eight points in the frame, including back-to-back three-pointers that gave the Scots their largest lead of the game at 24–19. However, LaGrange battled back, and Annika Bonds hit a jumper at the buzzer to send the Panthers into halftime with a 28–26 edge.
Maryville came out of the break looking to regain momentum, with Stoner scoring early to tie the game at 28–28. The third quarter featured eight lead changes and seven ties as both teams exchanged baskets. Wilson converted a three-point play to give the Scots a 42–41 advantage, but LaGrange answered with a Malea Graves layup to retake the lead. The Panthers held a slim 47–44 edge heading into the final period.
LaGrange seized control in the fourth quarter, opening with a 7–2 run to push the lead to 51–46. McLendon continued to attack the basket, and Battle connected on a crucial three-pointer to extend the advantage to 61–50 with 4:38 remaining. Maryville fought back with a 5–0 spurt, capped by a Wilson three-point play, but couldn't get closer than six points as LaGrange knocked down free throws late to secure the victory.
Travillian pointed to ball security and LaGrange's defensive pressure as key factors in the loss.
"We weren't tough enough with the ball," Travillian said. "When we got into the teeth where we wanted to be off the bounce, we put the ball up over our head, and then they did a great job kind of smothering the ball and creating some turnovers out of that. Even where we did kick it and make a pass, it was a tough one to catch and shoot because it was deflected or it was a little bit weak."
Maryville shot just 36.5 percent from the field for the game and struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on only 4-of-17 three-point attempts. The Scots were outrebounded 43–31 and gave up 40 points in the paint compared to 28 of their own. LaGrange also capitalized on second-chance opportunities, outscoring Maryville 10–5 in that category.
Senior forward Ella Haney added seven points, three rebounds, and two blocks for the Scots, while sophomore Braxton Fritz chipped in three points and four assists. Freshman Terriah Watkins provided a spark off the bench with four points in limited minutes.
Despite the setback, Travillian remains focused on the road ahead and the possibility of another meeting with LaGrange down the line.
"Every time we play, we're just trying to go one and oh," Travillian said. "For the last five games, we had done it. Couldn't do it today. So we're going to prepare like it's the Final Four and try to go one and oh on Tuesday. My philosophy is, everybody that you're playing, you're trying to make sure that you would have the tiebreaker or that you would host. My hope is that we see them for a conference tournament championship."
The Scots will look to bounce back on Tuesday, February 4, when they host Covenant for another crucial CCS match up
