UNIVERSITY PARK, Ill. -- Following a tough loss to Governors State (Ill.) less than 24 hours earlier, the Midway women's basketball team responded with a strong bounce-back victory on Tuesday, defeating Pikeville (Ky.) 81-72 on the final day of the GSU Winter Classic.

Midway — which shot just 28.4 percent from the field and 20 percent from three-point range in Monday's loss — did a complete turnaround, shooting 42.7 percent (32-of-75) overall and 46.7 percent (7-of-15) from beyond the arc.

The turnaround was fueled in large part by freshman point guard Alexys Moore, who turned in the best performance of her young career. The Tellico Plains, Tenn., native finished with a career-high 30 points, shooting 10-of-16 from the floor and 4-of-5 from long distance. She also added five rebounds and four assists.

The first quarter was a back-and-forth battle, with both teams leading by as many as five points, but Pikeville eventually took a 25-19 lead early in the second quarter. Trailing 29-24, the Eagles found their rhythm offensively, clamped down defensively, and went on a decisive 15-1 run.

During the 5:33 stretch, Midway forced four turnovers and held Pikeville without a field goal. Moore and A'Lyrica Hughes sparked the run with five points apiece. Later in the quarter, Hughes found Moore for an open three-pointer, giving Midway its largest lead of the game at 42-32.

Pikeville (7-8) closed the half on a 5-0 run and carried that momentum into the third quarter, eventually taking a 49-46 lead with 5:17 remaining. The Eagles quickly answered with a 9-0 run to reclaim a 55-49 advantage.

Midway took a five-point lead into the fourth quarter, but Pikeville battled back to grab a 61-59 edge with under six minutes to play. Once again, the Eagles responded, using a 12-3 run to regain control and secure the 81-72 victory.

Joining Moore in double figures were Hughes and Trinity Johnson. Hughes finished with 13 points, four assists, and three rebounds, while Johnson capped the decisive run with a three-pointer and totaled 10 points, six rebounds, and three assists.

With the win, Midway improves to 9-4 on the season and will enjoy a brief break before returning to River States Conference play on Saturday (Jan. 3). The Eagles will open the New Year on the road against preseason favorite Shawnee State (Ohio), which enters the matchup with a 10-3 record. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. ET in Portsmouth, Ohio.