MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Haeli Howard scored a career-high 22 points to lead No. 15-ranked Lindsey Wilson women's basketball to a 58-55 win over host Faulkner (Ala.) on the first night of the Mid-South Conference/Southern States Conference Challenge at Tine Davis Gymnasium.
Regan Turner just missed a double-double, scoring 10 points and grabbing nine rebounds to help Lindsey Wilson (5-0) overcome its worst shooting performance of the season.
The Blue Raiders hit season lows from the field and beyond the 3-point arc. Lindsey Wilson shot 27.1 percent (23-of-85) from the field and 18.2 percent (4-of-22) from deep.
Luckily, Lindsey Wilson did not struggle on the defensive end. The Blue Raiders limited the Eagles (4-1) to 30.2 percent (19-of-63) from the field.
The Lindsey Wilson defense made its biggest stand on the final play of the game. Leading 58-55, the Blue Raiders forced a last-second, off-balanced heave at the buzzer from the Eagles to preserve the win.
Howard gave the Blue Raiders their largest lead of the game with 6:01 left in regulation. The driving layup pushed Lindsey Wilson out in front 57-48. The layup was the last field goal of the game for the Blue Raiders.
Faulkner used a 7-0 run over the next three-plus minutes to climb within 57-55 with 2:52 left in the game.
Neither team could find the basket -- combining to go 0-for-8 from the field the remainder of the game.
Faulkner had its chance to tie or take the lead in the final minute, but J'Nayah Hall stripped the ball from Ryann Sylvester with 36 seconds left to give the Blue Raiders an opportunity to ice the game.
Following multiple fouls, Howard hit one of two free throws with 5.8 seconds left to extend the lead to three. The Blue Raider defense did the rest to secure the win.
The game featured eight ties and nine lead changes with a six-point lead being the largest until the final quarter.
DeAsia Outlaw closed the game with six points and a game-high 17 rebounds. Sylvester led the Eagles with 15 points.
Lindsey Wilson returns to action at 3 p.m. CT on Saturday, Nov. 9, as the Blue Raiders play Brewton-Parker (Ga.) on the final day of the MSC/SSAC Challenge in Montgomery.
