PHARR GYMNASIUM | MOBILE, Ala. – In the third game of 2026 on Thursday, January 15th, the Rams picked up their first conference win against the Skyhawks of Point University. The home win is hopefully the first of many wins to come through the second half of the season for the Mobile Women's Basketball team. The Rams allowed just 49 points in the contest against Point, the least allowed by the Rams during the 2025-2026 season so far. Throughout the contest, Mobile showcased a strong defensive presence which helped the team surge ahead in the second half on their way to an 86-49 victory in the Pharr.
Mobile would score first on Thursday evening as Mariona Pontnou connected on a 2-point jumper. Shortly after, Point would score their first basket tying the game up early. With 2:07 left to play in the first, the visitors would hold a 5-point lead over Mobile. The Rams were scrambling for the ball and fighting hard as they forced 7 turnovers in the first quarter, but the shots just wouldn't fall. Despite trailing by 5 in the closing two minutes of the quarter, Mobile would make a late surge in the final 1:05 to close up the gap. Mariona Pontnou started the surge by making another 2-point jumper assisted by Cierra Highland and on the next possession, Cierra Highland got her first points of the game while making a great cross and cut to the basket for 2-point lay-up. To end the half in scoring for the Rams was once again, Mariona Pontnou scoring her sixth points of the game on a 2-point jumper assisted Jarniya Maddox. Three back-to-back possessions resulted in a 6-point run by the Rams and a 1-point lead to end the first quarter.
The second quarter started off hot with Cierra Highland making back-to-back 3-pointers with both shots being off assists by Jarniya Maddox, allowing the Rams to gain an early 7-point lead. The Rams defense would make life tough for the Skyhawks offense, as they did not allow a score until the 7:14 mark. The lead kept growing as Jada Johnson would make two free throws and on the following possession, Emilee Duet would make a 2-point jumper, giving her side an 11-point lead. Deja Pryor would make a free throw to end the second quarter finalizing the first half score of 36-23 Rams in front. Scoring in the third quarter would start off fast with Deja Pryor making a lay-up, Emilee Duet with a steal and Cierra Highland with a lay-up followed by another steal and lay-up by Cierra Highland. The lead quickly grew as, once again, Cierra Highland would grab a steal and Emilee Duet would lay it in which pushed the lead out to 20. By the end of the third quarter, the Rams would hold a 26-point lead with a score of 61-35.
Even with a sizable lead heading into the fourth quarter, the Rams did not let off the gas. Jada Johnson would force a turnover and take the ball down the court for a lay-up. Less than a minute after the lay-up, Deja Pryor would splash a 3-point shot off an assist from Emilee Duet. The story of the night however would be Loralee Faulkner getting minutes and scoring for the first time all season. Loralee Faulkner would score a pair of free throws and a beautiful euro-step, finger roll lay-up for an and-1 opportunity. After the free throw was made, the lead was out pushed out to 33 by the Rams. The dagger 3-pointer with less than a minute to go came from McKenna Sinon which led to a final score of 86-49. Rams Win!
Five Rams players had double digit points with Cierra Highland having the team lead with 14 points and 4 steals. Emilee Duet posted 11 points and 3 steals while McKenna Sinon went 3-4 on 3-point shots posting 11 points and 2 steals. Jarniya Maddox posted 10 rebounds with 7 points. The team as a whole shot 47% from the field and 61.5% from behind the arc.
Up Next for the Rams
The Rams will be back in action on Saturday against Brewton-Parker Christian University for another conference game. That game can be watched live, for free, on Urban Edge Network with tip-off scheduled for 12:00pm CT!
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About the University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered university pursuing excellence "For Christ & His Kingdom." With a vision to "Multiply Kingdom Leaders for the Glory of God and the Good of the World," the university honors God by equipping students for their future professions in an environment where they are known. The university was founded in 1961 and is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention. Located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama, on a campus of over 880 acres, UM offers associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Learn more at umobile.edu/um-info and connect with UM on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
