PULASKI, Tenn. - Fighting their way past a first half deficit, MMC women's basketball turned the game around in the second half, and held onto a slim 77-74 defeat of Bethel University, improving to 13-7, 3-4 in league play. The RedHawks overcame 33.3 percent shooting in the first half with an impressive 53.8 percent in the second half, as Kyra Knight went on to set a career-high in scoring with 13 points.

"I was really proud of our girls tonight," remarked head coach Jamy Bechler. "They battled for 40 minutes. Even when we got down early, they didn't quit. Between our top four scorers, three had foul trouble in the first half and another didn't score at all. We had some clutch performances that kept us in the game during the first half. Ellen hit two key free throws, Bobbi handled the ball well and ripped down a bunch of rebounds and Kyra had another strong inside game. Once again, Jessy was lights out when we needed her to be. Vee and Keri really were tough on the boards. Bethel was preseason #6 in the nation and has played one of the toughest schedules this year. They are talented, especially Jana Roney, who is exceptional and this is a good win for our program."

Vee Young led the RedHawks, narrowly missing a double-double with 21 points and nine rebounds, while Jessy Christopher was also just shy with 17 points and nine assists. MMC, who out-rebounded the Wildcats 44-37 were massive on the defensive boards, tallying 33. Eight of Young's boards were defensive, while seven of Bobbi Dodson's eight, six of Keri O'Neal's nine, and five of Micah Anderson's eight, were also on the defensive end.

BU went up 4-0 quickly on their first two possessions, as Young put up the first markers for MMC, followed by a Knight bucket to tie the contest at 4-4. The affair would tie three more times, finally at 17-17 on a three-pointer from Dodson, before Bethel would make their move. A 7-0 run put the Wildcats ahead before Knight cut the lead to five with a basket. By 5:23, BU led by eight, and they would reach that mark once more, but not for long as Knight drew a foul and converted both free throws, and then Anderson drew the and one in the next possession and made the extra basket. With nine seconds left in the half, Christopher knocked down one from the line, and MMC went to the half trailing by one, 33-32.

Becca Smithson knocked down a commanding three to open the second half, and set the pace for the RedHawks to begin to build a lead. The teams exchanged leads and tied once, but MMC took a lead for good on Christopher basket, extending the lead on the next possession with Keri O'Neal's score.

MMC led by 10 on four occasions from 9:36 on, as Bethel attempted a last-minute comeback with just minutes to go. With enough time for another possession on the clock, BU knocked down a three to close in within two, and then fouled Christopher. The junior point guard nailed her first shot, enough for a three point lead that forced Bethel to shoot from long range in the remaining seconds, a shot they would miss.

The RedHawks head to Trevecca Nazerene on Saturday, January 28^th, tipping off a 2pm.