Cougar News

Mayfield, KY - Mid-Continent University women's basketball nearly went winless in 11 games prior to the holiday break. The Cougars salvaged a win on Dec. 12, coming back from nine points down with seven minutes left when junior forward Katie Perry scored a lay-up with 10 seconds left in a 60-58 win over Marygrove (Mich.), in the third-place game of the College of St. Joseph Invitational.

    MCU lost to St. Xavier, the NAIA's number 2 team, and McKendree, the number 17 team, and lost by just 10 to Lindsey Wilson which received votes for the top 25 in the Dec. 14 poll. With a 1-10 record, MCU begins the TranSouth schedule at Trevecca Nazarene, Jan. 7, and hosts Lyon College, one of the TSAC's up-and-coming squads, Jan. 9.

    "I know it is going to be rough," acknowledges first-year head coach Courtney Nicley, who adds, "MCU will go into each game giving as much as they know how to give. I believe that our effort this season has been better than I expected."

    Junior forward Alisha Herndon is expected to miss nearly three more weeks due to a foot injury, keeping 6.9 points and 4.1 rebounds on the bench. Only one Cougar out of the remaining eight players averages more than 10 points -- junior guard Tiffany Payton has scored 11 or more points in 7 games and leads the Cougars with 14 three-pointers, including the game-tying dagger with 46 seconds left in MCU's win. Payton averages 12.1 points and 3.9 rebounds.

    Perry averages 8.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game with 11 or more points in five games. Sophomore forward Amanda Daugherty averages 6.7 points and a team-best 6.9 rebounds and earned All-Tournament honors just before the break. Senior center Kandi Knupp ranks fourth in the NAIA with 33 blocked shots and averages 9.5 points and 5.2 rebounds, and junior guard Lindsey Davis leads the team with 28 assists and 19 steals and averages 5.8 points and 3.3 rebounds.