Tuskegee slows Paine's momentum

It was a chance to continue paving its path to a postseason berth. It was a chance to remain atop the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference standings.

Paine's women squandered both opportunities Monday night.

Tuskegee took advantage of the Lady Lions' defensive struggles in the second half and pulled out a 78-68 win at Carter Gym.

The loss couldn't have come at a worse time for the Paine women, who fell to 12-7 overall, 11-2 conference. Last week, the Lady Lions not only climbed to the top of the SIAC after a road win at Benedict, but also earned their first South Region ranking, checking in at No. 5 in the poll. The top eight region teams at the end of the season advance to the Division II Tournament.

"The reason why you have to keep winning is to get an automatic bid," Paine coach Selina Kohn said. "If you can stay in the top one through five, you can get knocked out of the conference tournament and still get a bid."

The Lady Lions will learn Wednesday how far they fall in the poll, if they are still in it at all. With seven regular-season games left, Paine cannot afford to lose any more games to stay in the region mix.

"Unfortunately, you're depending on what other teams are doing," Kohn said.

Paine did little on offense against Tuskegee, shooting 36 percent from the field. Freshman Savoyia Barrett scored a career-high 21, while Kisha Lucette added 12 in 23 minutes.

Lucette, who's battling through knee pain, played only seven minutes Saturday against Stillman. The junior forward, who leads Paine in scoring (10.8) and rebounding (7.7), is expected to have a knee examination today.

"We count on her on offense and defense," Kohn said. "She's a big factor. She's been carrying us the majority of the season."

Tuskegee (13-8, 10-2), the No. 6 team in the South Region, broke open a tight game with a 14-0 run early in the second half. Ashia Redd scored seven of her 21 points during the spurt as the Tigerettes took a 47-33 lead.

Tuskegee shot 54 percent after halftime and went 7-for-10 from 3-point range.

 •  The Paine men dominated from the start in a 71-50 blowout of the Tigers.

Daniel Lomax scored a game-high 20 with nine assists and eight rebounds to lead Paine (10-9, 8-6). Nate Lewis added 16 points and four assists, while Lamario Latson chipped in with 12 points and 17 boards.

The Lions shot 41 percent from the floor and dished out 17 assists. Paine's unselfish play helped it build a double-digit lead in the first half.

"The more and more they play together," Paine coach Ron Spry said, "they understand the importance of playing offense and defense."

Paine led by 13 at the break and stuffed Tuskegee from there. Lomax had more alley-oop dunks the first six minutes of the second half (1) than the Tigers had points (zero).

Tuskegee (5-16, 4-10) scored its first basket of the half on Jason Musgray's lay-in with 12:02 remaining. By then, Paine had built a 53-28 advantage.

Reach Chris Gay at (706) 823-3645 or chris.gay@augustachronicle.com.