WARREN, Mich. – What a battle! Macomb Women's Basketball fell just short of an upset over first place Delta, dropping Monday's (Feb. 21) Sophomore Night contest by a 72-61 final in Warren. The Monarchs and Pioneers were tied after three quarters of play, but the visitors closed the game strong to earn the road win.
Before the game got underway, the Monarchs honored their sophomores/second year players with a ceremony at midcourt. The Monarchs honored were: Rayonna Armstrong (Toledo, Ohio/Notre Dame Prep), DeBraya Edwards (Detroit, Mich./Roseville), Valina Hudgins (Warren, Mich./Lincoln) and Amy Jackson (Flat Rock, Mich./Flat Rock).
After the action got started, Amy Jackson etched her name into the record books as the second-year freshman sharpshooter connected on her 76th 3-pointer of the campaign. The first half triple lifted Jackson into sole possession of the single-season 3-pointers made record, breaking Ashley Wilson's mark of 75 set in 2017-18.
Down 16-12 after one and 35-31 at the halftime break, the Monarchs connected on 40% of their shots in the opening half while holding the Pioneers to a 30% clip from the field. The Monarchs were balanced in the first half as all five starters recorded four-or-more points.
Second half action saw the Monarchs erase the four-point halftime deficit to tie the Pioneers, 48-48, at the end of the third quarter. The Pioneers took over from there, outscoring the Monarchs 24-13 in the final period to earn the 11-point league victory.
Points off turnovers proved to be a deciding factor as the Pioneers ended the game with a 30-14 advantage in the category.
Edwards led all scorers with 24 points on 7-of-13 shooting and added 12 rebounds, six assists, six steals and a pair of blocks in 34 minutes of play. The stat line was a continuation of the reigning NJCAA Division II Player of the Week's strong play this season. Edwards was followed by Jackson who chipped in with 13 points and Chante Hudgins (Warren, Mich./Lincoln) who notched 11 points and nine rebounds.
Valina Hudgins pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds and added eight points, while Amari Davis-Dobbs (Eastpointe, Mich./Lincoln) recorded five points and three assists.
Up Next: The Monarchs will hit the road to play in the quarterfinal round of the Region XII District B Tournament Tuesday (March 1). More information coming soon!
