No. 18 Walters State opens season with 65-54 win over No. 2 Shelton State in Kragel Classic

MORRISTOWN, TN – No. 18 Walters State got its season off to a great start on Saturday evening in the Kragel Classic, picking up a huge 65-54 win over No. 2 Shelton State.

With the victory, the Lady Senators improved to 1-0 on the season. 

"I'm really proud of how hard our team competed tonight," Walters State coach Jasmin Coleman said. "Hats off to Shelton State, they have an outstanding program and always set the bar high. We hoped our challenging preseason would prepare us for moments like this, and I think it showed. We'll keep working to improve our discipline and stay committed to being others-centered in everything we do."

Leading the way in the scoring column for Walters State was Malon Smith with 19 points. Others in double figures were Terryauna Griffin with 15 points and Ze'yana Stewart with 13 points. Other scorers for the Lady Senators were Malia Wilcox with seven points, Raegan Starks with four points, Anaya Mulholland-Natt with four points and Nyjah Gibbs with three points.

"I thought our sophomore toughness really helped lead us tonight, and that's exactly what you hope for as a coach," Coleman said. "Our goal was to come out, have fun, play hard and be aggressive on both ends of the floor. If you can do that every night, you give yourself a chance to be successful." 

Following an opening quarter that ended tied 17-17, the Lady Senators trailed 30-29 at the half. In the third quarter, Walters State came out with a purpose and grabbed a 48-43 lead heading to the fourth. In the third, Smith had seven points while Stewart added five. Mulholland-Natt had four, as well.

In the fourth, the Lady Senators kept the foot on the gas with 17 more points and held Shelton State to 11, picking up the win.

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Walters State will be back in action on Sunday, hosting Northeast Mississippi Community College in the Kragel Classic at 4 pm ET. 

"After the horn went off tonight, our focus immediately shifted to recovery and preparation for Northeast Mississippi," Coleman said. "They're a well-coached team that plays aggressive and hard, so we'll need to bring that same energy and discipline again tomorrow."