Lady Pirates Pick Up Two More Wins

Lady Pirates Pick Up Two More Wins

The Pirate women returned from a brief holiday break and headed over to Americus, Georgia to compete in the Lady Jets Holiday Classic. Pensacola State managed to go 2-1 over the weekend after being slated to play Shelton State, Daytona State, and St. Petersburg College December 29-31, 2023.

The Pirates saw their 14-game win streak come to an end in their opener against Shelton State (11-4). The two teams previously met in Marianna, Florida on November 10, where the Pirates took a 58-52 victory over the Buccaneers. However, it would be the Bucs taking a 76-69 win to avenge the earlier loss to the Pirates.

Nataya Lockett lead the Pirates with 19 points and seven rebounds in her first action of the season. Tanita Swift had 15 and Audreonia Benson contributed 14 to join Lockett as the Pirates double-digit scorers.

Adriana Jones led Shelton State with a game-high 27 while Julie Nekolna added 18 points and 15 boards.

On day two, Pensacola State responded to the disappointing loss with a convincing win over a tough Daytona State (8-5) squad. After being down 19-15 in the opening period, the Pirates took control of the game and secured the 87-68 win over the Falcons.

All five Pirate starters recorded double figure scoring, led by Tanita Swift's game-leading 23. Nataya Lockett and Gabriela Bendeck-Giron had 17 each, Audreonia Benson added 16, while Jaida McDonald recorded 10 and 14 rebounds.

Tasia Johnson led Daytona State with 15.

Pensacola finished the weekend with a huge 100-54 win over St. Petersburg College (2-11).

Tanita Swift had another monster game logging 31 points, 10 steals, eight assists, and seven rebounds in the contest. Gabriela Bendeck-Giron added 22 points and seven boards. Jaida McDonald got her eighth double-double of the season with 16 points and 14 boards while Audreonia Benson chipped in 10 points.

Carliss Johnson led St. Pete with 19 points.

The no. 7 Pirates are now 16-1 on the season and are hopeful to maintain a position in the NJCAA Top-10 rankings. They will host their Panhandle Conference opener against no. 4 Gulf Coast State on January 13, 2024.