Waxahachie, TX | January 8, 2026 — The Nelson University Lady Lions wasted no time welcoming in the new year, delivering a wire-to-wire 92–78 victory over John Brown University on Thursday night inside the Sheaffer Center in Sooner Athletic Conference action.
The first basket of 2026 belonged to Kate Miller, who finished through contact after a sharp assist from Abby Boyce. One possession later, Boyce attacked the rim herself, converting an and-one layup that set the tone for an electric opening stretch as Nelson jumped out quickly and never looked back.
Behind blistering efficiency and relentless pace, the Lady Lions surged to a 28–19 advantage after one quarter, shooting nearly 70 percent from the floor. The momentum only grew in the second period, where Paris Miller erupted off the bench with a scoring flurry that cracked the game wide open. Miller poured in 16 points in the second quarter alone, mixing deep triples with aggressive drives as Nelson stretched the lead to 55–37 at the break.
The third quarter became the defining stretch. Nelson's defense tightened, turnovers turned into transition baskets, and the Lady Lions pushed the lead to as many as 21 points. Paris Miller continued to apply pressure on every touch, finishing the night with a game-high 30 points, while Abby Boyce orchestrated the offense with eight assists and added 17 points of her own. Kate Miller controlled the glass and the paint, finishing with 11 points and nine rebounds, while Ashley Gonzalez and Cailyn Tucker each chipped in 13 to showcase Nelson's depth.
John Brown made a late push in the fourth, but Nelson answered every run with poise, knocking down free throws and getting timely baskets to seal the home win. The Lady Lions finished a perfect 16-for-16 at the free-throw line and totaled 21 assists on 34 made field goals, a reflection of crisp ball movement and unselfish play.
With the victory, Nelson improves to 11–1 overall and 7–1 in SAC play, opening 2026 with confidence and momentum in front of the home crowd.
Next Up:
The Lady Lions return to action on Saturday, January 10, hosting College of the Ozarks (Mo.) at 2:00 PM inside the Sheaffer Center as SAC play continues.
Nelson University (formerly SA GU) is a private Christian university, established in 1927 by P.C. Nelson. The University is located 30 minutes south of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Waxahachie, Texas, and offers more than 70 associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees on campus or online. For more information, visit www.nelson.edu or by calling 1-888-YES-NELSON.
