McGruder Posts Double-Double As Huntingdon Pushes Past Hendrix

JACKSON, Miss.- Taking on the Warriors in a neutral-site matchup, Huntingdon women's basketball(2-3 overall) defeated Hendrix(5-4 overall) 73-65. Senior Briana McGruder brought life to the Hawks coming off the bench, recording her first double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds to lead Huntingdon to their second win of the season.

First Quarter

• Through the opening three minutes, neither team could gather control of the momentum, with Briana Stuckey's jumpshot at the 6:58 mark gave the Hawks a 8-6 advantage
• A six-point turnaround for the Warriors flipped the advantage back to Hendrix 12-8 by the 4:36 mark
• Baskets from Stuckey, Deshauna Foote, and Kinstin Davis allowed for Huntingdon to reclaim the lead at the 1:44 mark 15-14.
• After a Hendrix triple tied the score, Davis found room around the rim and cashed in, handing the Hawks a 19-17 lead entering the second quarter

Second Quarter

• Cassidy Campbell got things going in the second quarter with a shot from deep on the Hawks first possession to extend their lead to 22-17
• Makayla Ford followed Campbell with a triple of her own at the 7:09 mark to push the Huntingdon lead to 25-17
• Five consecutive points from Kinstin Davis handed the Hawks a double-digit lead for the first time on the afternoon, as her three-pointer at the 5:44 mark brought the score to 30-19
• The Warriors stopped the bleeding on the following possession, but Davis stayed confident, hitting another three pointer to bring Huntingdon's lead to 33-21 by the 4:51 mark
• A 9-0 Hendrix run over the next four minutes saw the Hawks lead reduce to as little as 33-30, but Briana McGruder's and-one followed by another three-pointer from Makayla Ford kept Huntingdon in front 39-33 heading into the halftime break

Third Quarter

• As the third quarter got underway, the Hawks caught fire on the offensive end, as Briana McGruder led the team on a 10-0 run through the opening three minutes to extend the Huntingdon lead to 49-33 before a Hendrix jumper stopped the bleeding.
• Not to be outdone, Hendrix answered with an 11-0 run of their own to reduce the Hawks' lead to 49-44 by the 3:21 mark
• McGruder maintained her hot hand through the Warriors' run, cashing in on back-to-back possessions to hold Huntingdon's lead at 53-44 nearing the final two minutes of the quarter
• Hendrix followed another Kinstin Davis triple with a pair of free throws to bring the score to 59-52 heading into the final period

Fourth Quarter

• The two teams traded baskets to get the fourth quarter underway, with Ashanti Thomas leading the way for Huntingdon with four points as the Hawks continued to lead 65-56 by the 7:26 mark
• A 5-0 Hendrix run brought the Warriors within four, 65-61, by the six minute mark before Briana Stuckey put an end to the run with a jumper.
• Holding onto a 68-65 lead entering the final three minutes, Huntingdon's defense began to dominate the pace of the game, forcing Hendrix to go 0-7 from the field and forcing a turnover to remain in front. Free throws from McGruder, Ford, and Davis put Huntingdon in position to take the 73-65 lead.

Key Notes

• Huntingdon's offense remained efficient all afternoon, shooting 40% from the field and 43% from three.
• The Hawks' bench outscored that of the Warriors 34-16
• The matchup featured 8 ties

Hawk Top Performers

• #35 Briana McGruder- 17 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks
• #4 Kinstin Davis- 20 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals
• #12 Makayla Ford- 10 points, 2 rebounds

The Hawks return to action at home on December 6th, facing the Berry Vikings. Gametime is scheduled for 6:00 PM CT.