MADISONVILLE, TN – The University of Valley Forge Women's Basketball Team went up against the Hiwassee College Tigers in their first game of the trip.  After a closely contested first half, the Tigers pulled away and won, 70-50.

Patriots' Mikala Brinson led all scorers with 19 points, 14 coming in the first half.  She also tallied 4 assists.  Bailey Mayforth also scored in double figures, netting 10 points and grabbing 5 rebounds.  Ariene Ohimor also had a good game, grabbing 9 rebounds and dishing out a team-high 5 assists.

After a free throw from Tigers' Halei Lequire, the Patriots found themselves in an early hole, trailing 17-4.  After some defensive-scheme changes, the Patriots found their legs and started making a run.  A jumper from Mayforth capped a 12-4 scoring run and the lead was cut down to five, 21-16.  Even though the Patriots kept scoring, they couldn't find an answer on the defensive end.  The Tigers, led by Lequire, closed out the half with a 39-28 lead.  Lequire finished the half with 13 points and 6 rebounds.

In the first half, Patriots forward, Amanda McGinness, suffered a serious knee-injury.  She left the game and did not return.  Her presence was missed in the second half as the Tigers opened up on a 12-4 scoring run.  The Patriots' mistakes on the offensive end did not help matters. 

After the game, Head Coach Gretchen LeVan said, "We competed hard, but we must get better at taking care of the ball.  You can't win games giving them 25 points on 27 turnovers.  Tomorrow is another opportunity to get better."

A pair of free throws from Tigers' Channel Rogers pushed the lead to 56-33 with 12:52 remaining.  The Patriots did not get much closer and lost by a final score of 70-50.

The team will travel to Knoxville,TN tomorrow to take on Johnson University at 6PM.  The game will be a rematch of a November contest that saw the Patriots come out on the losing end, 88-50.

Go Patriots!