Flying Eagles Fall to Walters State in First Game of 2025 Despite Niethammer's 26-Point Effort

Flying Eagles Fall to Walters State in First Game of 2025 Despite Niethammer's 26-Point Effort
January 3, 2025

Game Recap: Women’s Basketball
1/03/2025 | Shaun Schetka

Cedar Bluff, Va – In their first game of the New Year, the Senators from Walters State Community College (9-4, 6-0) traveled to Virginia to take on the SWCC Flying Eagles (5-4, 4-2). This was the Flying Eagles’ first game since hosting Cleveland CC on December 17th. Unfortunately, the long layoff and Walters State's strong outside shooting proved too much for the Flying Eagles, who dropped their first game of 2025, 71-54.

Sophomore Paige Niethammer started the 2025 calendar year with a bang. The Newport, Tennessee native paced the Flying Eagles, scoring 9 of the team’s 14 points in the first quarter. Niethammer remained the focal point of the offense throughout the night, finishing with a game-high 26 points.

However, the Flying Eagles struggled to capitalize on their strong start, largely due to the sharp shooting of Terryauna Griffin. The freshman guard for Walters State scored 21 of her 24 points in the first half, including five three-pointers. Griffin's hot shooting helped the Senators secure a 38-31 lead at halftime.

Coach Lambert’s team regrouped during the halftime break and opened the third quarter with a 6-0 run. The surge was led by an Emma Owens three-pointer and a pair of free throws from freshman point guard Tamila Francis, narrowing the score to 38-37. Unfortunately for the Flying Eagles, that was as close as they would get. Walters State responded with a 15-2 run over the final six minutes of the third quarter to pull away. Transition baskets by Raegan Starks and a mid-range jumper by Kyra Perkins fueled the Senators' momentum. Perkins, a sophomore, was the main contributor in the second half, finishing the game with 24 points.

In the final period, the Flying Eagles continued to battle. Francis finished the game with 14 points, while Owens added 8. Despite shooting an impressive 47% from the field, SWCC struggled from behind the arc, connecting on just 3 of 19 three-point attempts.

The Flying Eagles must put this loss behind them quickly as they prepare for a two-game road trip. They will face Cleveland Community College on Saturday, January 4th, at 1:00 PM, followed by a matchup against Wake Tech CC on Sunday, January 5th, at 2:00 PM.