From Northwood Sports Information

WEST PALM BEACH, FL (December 17, 2006) --- Senior Kacie Letterman’s (Gray, Tenn.) three-point basket with 1:32 remaining broke a 62-all tie and propelled Milligan College (Tenn.) to a 66-64 victory over Northwood University (Fla.), 66-64, in the consolation contest of the College Bookstores of America Lady Seahawk Tournament at the Countess de Hoernle Student Life Center Sunday afternoon.

The Buffaloes improve to 4-6 on the year while the Seahawks move to 5-3. Northwood returns to action Tuesday as it hosts Evangel (Miss.) University at 5:30 p.m. Milligan is back on the court Jan. 2 as it takes on Pikeville University (Ky.) in a 5:30 p.m. match up.

Freshman Brit White (Chuckey, Tenn.) paced the Buffaloes attack with 13 points while sophomore Rikki Baughman (Elizabethton, Tenn.) recorded a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. White was 4-of-8 from behind the three-point line and she is the fifth different player to lead Milligan in scoring in a game this year. Three other Milligan players, Letterman, Leah Anderson (Lexington, Ky.) and Hali Sparks (Erwin, Tenn.) chipped in eight points apiece.

Freshman Katie Vican recorded her second double-double in as many contests with a game-best 23 points and 11 rebounds as Northwood held a 43-32 advantage in that category. Freshman Bari Levy was the other Seahawk player in double figures with 11. Freshman Sara Malone handed out a game-high four assists.

Letterman’s basket came moments after a three-pointer from Levy with 3:31 remaining capped a 12-0 run for Northwood that tied the game at 59-all. Milligan had taken the lead after opening the second half on a 12-0 run, erasing a five-point deficit and giving the Buffaloes a 44-37 advantage with 15:01 left to play.

Following the Letterman basket, Northwood pulled within one a pair of free throws from freshman Sissy Ryan before a free throw from Sparks gave Milligan a two-point lead. Northwood freshman Sara Malone had a chance to tie the game, but her heave from half-court hit the backboard and did not draw iron.  

To start the second half, Milligan went on a 24-4 run over the first 11 minutes to take a 56-41 lead. During the scoring run, Baughman scored nine points in the 24 point outburst. Milligan was 12-of-29 (41 percent) from the field in the second half, compared to Northwood and their 6-of-25 (24 percent) shooting performance in the final 20 minutes.

Northwood was able to stay in the game late with their free-throw percentage. In the second half, Northwood was 12-of-16 (75 percent) while Milligan was only 5-of-7 (71 percent). For the game, Milligan was 13-of-17 (77 percent) and Northwood finished 21-of-27 (78 percent) from the charity line.

Earlier in the contest, Northwood jumped out an early 4-0 lead before using an 8-0 run to build a 24-13 lead with 9:42 left to play in the opening half. The Seahawk lead grew to as many 13 in the frame before the Buffaloes scored the final five points of the first half to cut the Northwood lead to 37-32 at intermission.