Lady Pirates Go 1-1 in the Pensacola Classic

Pensacola State 61 – Meridian College 67

The Pirates suffered a surprising 67-61 defeat to the Eagles of Meridian College on the opening day of the Pensacola State Classic. Pensacola State struggled to get things going early and trailed Meridian 16-12 after the first 10 minutes of the contest. The Pirate offensive struggles continued throughout the night as they could never claim a lead in the contest, eventually falling to the Eagles.

Jaida McDonald led the Pirates with 19 points, 14 rebounds, and five steals. Audreonia Benson added 15 points.

Halei Keyes led the Eagle with 17 points.

Pensacola State 58 – No. 19 Eastern Florida State 52

After a disappointing showing on Friday, Pensacola State responded with a resilient 58-52 take down of NJCAA No. 19 Eastern Florida State Titans on Saturday.

Both teams got off to a slow start with Titans taking a 12-8 lead after the first period. While starting guards Audreonia Benson and Talia Kemp where forced to sit the entire second period due to foul trouble, Jaida McDonald was able to provide scoring with seven of the Pirates 11 points in the stanza. However, the Titans managed a 16-point output in the quarter and took a 28-19 advantage into the halftime break.

The Pirates were able to outscore the Titans 16-14 in the third period and trailed only seven going into the fourth. Eastern Florida extended the lead to nine at 48-39 with a little over six minutes of play remaining before the Pirates would make one final push at closing the gap. Nautica Bouie initiated an 8-0 Pirate run with a triple. Benson got an acrobatic driving finish to go on the ensuing possession and Bouie would convert a 3-point play to bring the Pirates to within one at 48-47 with 4:41 remaining. Katiya Casey's second triple of the half gave the Pirates their first lead of the game at 52-50. From that point, Pensacola State outpaced the Titans to secure the 58-52 upset.

McDonald had another monster night with 18 points and 18 boards for her fifth double-double in seven games. Bouie had a solid outing for the Pirates with 13 points, five boards, and four assists. Benson added 11 points to go along with five assists.

Jalei O'Neal had 13 to lead the Titans' scoring. E'Zaria Adams and Karen Nimo added 12 and 11 points, respectively.

The Pirates move to 5-2 on the season.

Up Next: Pensacola State will travel to Perkinston, MS, to face No. 22 Mississippi Gulf Coast Bulldogs on November 18, 2024 with a 5:30 PM Tip-off time.