MILLIGAN COLLEGE, TN (December 2, 2006)--- Milligan’s women’s basketball team was victorious in their home opener against fellow AAC (Appalachian Athletic Conference) members the Lady Cobras of Virginia Intermont College. Milligan was able to gain, increase and hold a lead over Virginia Intermont throughout the match-up in order to finish with an 83-59 win.

The Lady Buffs will improve their conference record to 1-1, with an overall record of 2-4. Virginia Intermont’s AAC record will move to 1-1 as well, along with an overall record of 1-5.

Hali Sparks (Erwin, Tenn.) drained a basket for Milligan three minutes into the first half, which put Milligan ahead 6-4 and the Lady Buffs never trailed for the remainder of the game.

Virginia Intermont traded baskets with Milligan, and a three-point basket from the Lady Cobras’ Kendra Newman with 11:03 left in the first half brought the score to 21-19 in favor of the Lady Buffs. Milligan would go on a 27-6 run over the next eight minutes of play to lead 48-25 after a three-pointer from Brittany Kilgore (Kingsport, Tenn.).

The half-time score was 50-30 in favor of the Lady Buffs. Milligan saw a strong first-half performance from Sparks and Candace Shelton (Flag Pond, Tenn.), with 12 and nine points respectively.

Milligan started the second half with a 15-4 run over the first six minutes of the half to put the game out of the Lady Cobras’ reach. The closest Virginia Intermont could come to closing the gap was to cut Milligan’s lead to 17 points, 76-59, with only three minutes remaining in the game. The Lady Buffs ended the game with a 7-0 run, to bring the final score to 83-59.

Leading the way for Milligan, Sparks scored a season-high 19 points as she was 9-of-12 from the field. Shelton finished the game with 13 points, and Rikki Baughman (Elizabethton, Tenn.) added 10 points in the win.

Virginia Intermont’s Newman scored a game-high 23 points.  She was 6-of-14 from behind the three-point arch. Ida Sammons poured in 13 points in the loss.

Milligan’s stifling defense held Virginia Intermont to 28 percent (16-of-58) from the field, while the Lady Buffs shot 49 percent (28-of-57) from the field. The Lady Buffs grabbed nine more rebounds than Virginia Intermont, 38-to-29.

The Lady Buffs will return to the court Tuesday, December 5, against AAC rival King College. The game is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. Milligan will be back at the Steve Lacy Fieldhouse, Friday, December 8, when Bluefield College comes for an AAC contest, scheduled to tip off at 5:30 p.m.