LAKE WALES, Fla. – On Friday, the SSAC/SUN Crossover Challenge concluded for Brewton-Parker Women's Basketball as they took on Warner (Fla.) for the second matchup of the tournament in Florida.

The Lady Barons (4-0) survived the challenge against the Royals (1-2) in what proved to be quite the test as BPC secured a 61-56 victory on Warner's home court in Lake Wales, Fla.

"Today was a really tough game for us," Head Coach Steve Edwards said. "We played four games in seven days. Our group was tired today and we currently have a few girls battling minor injuries."

"We didn't play well today, but we managed to find a way to win on the road," Edwards mentioned. "Warner played hard, and they had a ton of energy on their home floor."

"Down the stretch, we made enough plays to sneak out with a win," Edwards added. "We look forward to some much-needed time between games as we travel to Montgomery, Ala. next Thursday."

How It Happened | First Quarter

Cori Keats opened the game, scoring a three-pointer with the help of Madison Evans to give BPC the early lead. Warner responded with a strong 11-0 run over the next two minutes, capturing control of the score with 7:42 remaining in the period.

A layup from Evans at the 6:35 mark gave the Lady Barons five points, but the Royals jumped to an 18-5 lead within another two minutes. An "and-one" opportunity for Tajahnae Wiggins to cut the deficit down to 10 points before free throws from Cynthia Engler and Angel McRae knocked it down to eight points with 2:52 left. Warner closed with a free throw of their own with 20 seconds to play, closing the first quarter with a 21-12 lead.

How It Happened | Second Quarter

The Royals moved back to a 13-point advantage within the first three minutes of the second quarter. Brewton-Parker was back within a single-digit deficit as Keats knocked down threes at 6:46 and 6:02 to move Warner's lead to 25-18.

Keats' scoring efforts from beyond the arc sparked a 16-3 run for BPC, shifting some momentum towards the Lady Barons late in the period and leveling the game at 28-28 with 90 seconds to play. However, the Royals were able to take advantage of some missed opportunities from Brewton-Parker, closing the half with two scores and a 32-28 lead.

How It Happened | Third Quarter

Brewton-Parker took time to adjust at the break and came out swinging at Warner, capturing a 36-32 lead with an 8-0 run in the first couple of minutes. The Royals answered with a 7-0 run of their own to reclaim the lead with six minutes to play in the period.

Layups from McRae and Evans helped boost BPC back into control, but both teams traded shots back and forth to make the final few minutes tight. After a made free throw, Keonya Mincey hit a hug three-point with a minute to play. Warner managed to close out the quarter with four points to tie the game 47-47.

How It Happened | Fourth Quarter

With 8:47 on the clock, Drexelle Ward scored the first two points of a six-point BPC run as Evans and Wiggins followed with scores to give the Lady Barons a 53-47 lead with 6:28 left to play.

The final six minutes were quite the battle with both teams trading scores down the stretch. However, Brewton-Parker managed to hold onto the lead for the remainder of the contest despite Warner going on an 8-4 run to cut BPC's lead to just 57-55 with 2:56 on the clock.

A jumper from Mincey at the 2:34 mark followed by a steal and a pair of free throws from Evans with 40 seconds left aided in icing the game for the 61-56 victory and the second win in Florida.

Inside The Statistics

• As a team, the Lady Barons shot for 29.7% (22-of-74) from the field and 78.6% (11-of-14) from the charity stripe.
• BPC was held to just 17.6% (6-of-34) from beyond the arc.
• Defensively, BPC held Warner to just 4-of-15 (26.7%) from three-point range and held a 13-7 edge in steals with Evans leading the way with four and McRae with three.
• Evans and Keats both netted double-figure points as Evans scored 13 and Keats with 12.
• McRae was one point and one rebound away from a double-double, recording nine points as well as nine rebounds.
• Warner held a narrow 40-38 advantage off the glass and gave up eight more turnovers than Brewton-Parker.

Next Up

• The Lady Barons will take some time to recover and prepare for the Faulkner Classic next weekend in Montgomery, Ala.