MONTICELLO, Ark. – The University of Arkansas at Monticello women's basketball team completed a regular season sweep of Ouachita Baptist University on Saturday from the Steeelman Field House in Monticello, Arkansas following a 69-59 victory. UAM shot a season-high for field goal percentage in a Great American Conference game at 46.6 percent.
 
UAM got off to a solid start in the first quarter taking an early double-digit lead. It was highlighted by an 11-2 run to end the period. It started with a Kayla Bradley Jumper with 2:16 remaining in the quarter.
 
A little later, Jaida Muhammad drained a three to give the Blossoms a 19-11 advantage. Bradley would later get to the line, and the Tigers responded with a pair of free throws on their end. Nina Kizzee got in on the action right after with a basket and Berniezha Tidwell then drained a basket at the buzzer to give the Blossoms a 25-13 lead heading into the second.
 
To start the following quarter, it was Shania Smith joining the fun as she drained a triple. Mekaylan Hicks, Tidwell and Mackenzie Tillman also registered some baskets in the quarter to keep UAM's lead at 10. OBU tallied a couple buckets of their own late in the period, but the Blossoms took a 36-26 lead into half.
 
Starting the second half, the Blossoms stretched their advantage all the way to 17 on a couple baskets from Tidwell and a three from Tillman. OBU didn't chip away until late in the period, but excellent play by Tidwell and Muhammad kept them at bay.
 
In the fourth, the Tigers fought back to cut the lead to single-digits with a little over two minutes remaining. However, the Blossoms got it back to double-digits following baskets by Tidwell, Smith and Pamela Bethel. Kizzee put the icing on the cake in the final 24 seconds left hitting a pair of free throws. UAM went on to win, 69-59.
 
Tidwell led all scorers with 18 points while Hicks added 11. Tidwell also had seven rebounds and five steals.
 
Muhammad added nine points of her own draining a trio of three pointers.
 
With the win, UAM improves to 11-4 overall and 6-4 in GAC contests. UAM shot a season-high for field goal percentage in a GAC game at 46.6 percent.
 
UP NEXT
UAM will continue its homestand with a matchup against Southern Nazarene University on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.