CLINTON, Miss. – The University of Arkansas at Monticello women's basketball team earned a dominant road win at Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi on Tuesday. With the victory, the Blossoms improve to 3-0 to start a season for the first time since 2008-09.
 
Mekaylan Hicks led the way for UAM in scoring tallying 16 points. She also was 7-for-8 from the floor, had seven rebounds and three steals.
 
Berniezha Tidwell continued her solid play as well scoring 12 points, dishing out six assists and grabbing a team-high four steals.
 
The game was tight early with both the Blossoms and the Choctaws finishing the first quarter tied, 17-17.
 
In the second quarter, UAM turned things around and never looked back. After MC took a two-point lead to start the second, Jaida Muhammad drained a three to take a one-point advantage. The Choctaws answered with a two, and it was Muhammad again who splashed one from deep to take a two-point lead.
 
Mississippi College kept it tight until the final few minutes of the half. Muhammad hit a free throw with under five minutes remaining, and Kayla Bradley followed that up with a basket of her own. To make it a nine-point lead, Muhammad hit a jumper with two and a half left in the period. To conclude the run, Dezirae King got in on the action getting a basket in the paint. The Blossoms took an 11-point lead into halftime, 35-24.
 
UAM kept up its attack on offense in the third, swelling the lead up to 14 points, in large part to Tidwell who had eight of her 12 points in the third.
 
The Blossoms continued pushing their lead in the final quarter up to 23 points. The scoring was spread around through several UAM players with baskets coming from Hicks, Lynah Bontiff, and Kyiah Julian. UAM would go on to win the game, 62-41.
 
Other notable performances were Muhammad and Bradley. Muhammad tallied nine points and was 2-of-4 from downtown. Bradley recorded eight points registered four rebounds and four steals.
 
UAM forced 25 turnovers altogether.
 
UP NEXT
The Blossoms will be action Thursday when they host Hendrix College at the Steelman Field House at 7 p.m.