Davis And McGruder Lead Huntingdon Past MUW

MONTGOMERY, Ala.- In the Hawks final game before the Christmas holiday, the senior duo of Kinstin Davis and Briana McGruder guided Huntingdon's offense as they pulled out a 67-60 victory over MUW, completing their season-sweep of the Owls. Davis provided 21 points along with six rebounds, while McGruder patrolled the paint, recording her second double-double of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds. McGruder also blocked four MUW shots.

First Quarter

• As mentioned earlier, Davis and McGruder spearheaded Huntingdon's offensive attack, scoring all of the Hawks points as they opened the game on a 7-2 run through the opening four minutes
• Charity Shaw responded to a MUW three-pointer with consecutive midrange jumpshots to maintain Huntingdon's lead at 11-9 by the 2:32 mark
• Another Owl triple with 1:40 remaining in the quarter gave MUW their first lead of the game, 13-11
• Layups from Davis and Shaw provided enough offense to even the score at 15 entering the second quarter

Second Quarter

• Trading baskets to open the quarter, Cassidy Campbell's triple gave Huntingdon a 20-17 advantage by the 8:31 mark
• The Owls converted on a pair of tries from the charity stripe to regain the lead, 23-22 with 3:34 remaining until halftime
• Back-to-back layups from Briana Stuckey and McGruder put Huntingdon in front 26-23 at the 2:30 mark
• The Owls cashed in on a layup at the 1:31 mark to go ahead 27-26, but baskets from Kinstin Davis and Deshauna Foote put Huntingdon back in the lead 31-27 at halftime

Third Quarter

• The Hawks opened the second half strong, with McGruder and Foote leading a run that extended Huntingdon's lead to 36-27 by the 6:40 mark
• Not to be outdone, MUW answered immediately after with a 5-0 run that cut the Hawks lead to 36-32
• Huntingdon responded with another 6-0 run, featuring baskets from Davis, Foote, and Kennedy-Ryan Jackson that brought Huntingdon's lead to 42-32, their first double-digit advantage of the afternoon
• Trading baskets as the quarter came to a close, a MUW layup brought the score to 49-39 as the final quarter got underway.

Fourth Quarter

• After trading baskets through the first two minutes, MUW rang home a shot from deep that cut the Hawks lead to 54-47 by the 7:15 mark
• Kinstin Davis' three-pointer at the 6 minute mark saw Huntingdon's lead return to double-digits, 59-49
• Looking to stay alive, the Owls opened up a 10-2 run over the next five minutes, bringing themselves within two, 61-59 with 1:21 left in regulation
• McGruder's layup on the following possession put Huntingdon ahead 63-59, allowing Makayla Ford and Deshauna Foote to convert on opportunities from the free throw line and give Huntingdon the 67-60 victory

Key Notes

• Huntingdon held a six-rebound advantage over MUW, 43-37
• The Hawks swarmed on defense, forcing 20 turnovers
• MUW's bench outscored Huntingdon's 17-4

Hawk Top Performers

• #2 Deshauna Foote- 13 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
• #4 Kinstin Davis- 21 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals
• #25 Charity Shaw- 6 points, 5 rebounds
• #35 Briana McGruder- 14 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks, 2 steals

The Hawks return to action on December 29th, facing Centre at Sewanee. Tipoff is set for 3:00 PM CT.