7th-ranked Lady Senators fall to No. 2 Chipola, 78-60

TUSCALOOSA, AL – No. 7 Walters State battled No. 2 Chipola on Sunday afternoon in the Shelton State Classic but fell, 78-60.

With the loss, the Lady Senators dropped to 10-2 on the season. 

"We dropped two games down here, but we got exactly what we needed from this trip beyond wins and losses," Walters State coach Jasmin Coleman said. " Competing against two top teams with 6-7 players in a 16-hour turnaround tested our group in every way. Proud of our kids' fight and growth." 

Nyjah Gibbs again led the way for Walters State in the game with 17 points and six rebounds, while Malon Smith and Terryauna Griffin each added 13 points. Other contributors for the Lady Senators were Anaya Mulholland-Natt with eight points and six rebounds, Raegan Starks with seven points and six rebounds and Tierra Coleman with two points and nine rebounds. 

Chipola led 10-4 four minutes into the game, all four points from the Lady Senators coming from Mulholland-Natt, but Walters State cut the lead to four on a Gibbs basket. Chipola answered with a 3-pointer, but Gibbs scored again to make it 13-8. Again, Chipola responded with a trey, but Smith hit two free throws, Griffin hit a free throw and Coleman scored to cut the Chipola lead to 18-13 after one. 

In the second, Griffin scored Walters State's first six points to keep the Lady Senators in it at 25-19. Smith then hit two free throws to make it a four-point game, but Chipola scored four straight to get the lead to eight. Gibbs broke the drought with a layup, but Chipola finished the half strong and led 37-25 at the half. 

In the third quarter, Chipola scored the first six points to quickly extend its lead. Griffin got Walters State on the board with a basket that made it 43-27, but after a Mulholland-Natt basket, the Lady Indians scored six more that made it a 52-29 game. Smith scored four points in the final 3:30 for Walters State, and it was 60-37 in favor of Chipola after three. 

The fourth quarter was a strong 10 minutes offensively for Walters State, scoring 23 points. Gibbs had nine points in the quarter, while Starks added five and Griffin had four. Smith knocked in a triple, as well, and Mulholland-Natt had two points. 

Up Next:

Walters State is back in action in 2026, hosting Pellissippi State on January 7. Tip is set for 5:30 pm ET.