COLUMBUS, Miss. - The Spalding women's basketball picked up a confident 66–54 win yesterday over Mississippi University for Women, using a strong second half to pull away.

TURNING POINT
After taking a 28–22 lead into the break, the Golden Eagles came out with noticeably more energy, outscoring MUW 23–11 in the third to finally take control. From that point on, Spalding dictated the pace, attacked the paint with confidence, and relied on steady ball movement to close out the win.

Leading the way was Zaneiya Batiste, who turned in a standout performance with 17 points and a dominant 21 rebounds. She was relentless inside, cleaning up the glass, creating second-chance opportunities, and giving Spalding the physical edge it needed to pull away. The Golden Eagles also got a strong lift from their perimeter game. Ma'Kaylia Lute knocked down three threes on her way to 13 points, while Nicole Hollowell added 12 points with three triples of her own. Their shooting helped open up the floor, allowing Spalding to find a good balance between attacking the rim and hitting open jumpers.

Overall, Spalding shot just over 40 percent from the field and looked confident on both ends of the floor, especially as the game wore on. The team's 38 points in the paint reflected their aggressive mindset, and their ability to control the boards made a clear difference. With the victory, the Golden Eagles improve to 4–5 on the season and 1–1 in conference play, gaining momentum as they move deeper into their schedule.

GOLDEN EAGLE NOTES

• Zaneiya Batiste led the way for SU with 17 points, 21 rebounds, two blocks, and a steal.
• Gabby Douglass eight points, eight rebounds, and six assists in the win.
• SU grabbed their first SLIAC win of the season.