Sheria Hatcher had a team-high 14 points, including the game winner in the closing seconds.
Box Score
Salisbury, NC – The JCSU Lady Golden Bulls basketball team moved above .500 in the division with a 56-54 victory over CIAA rival Livingstone College Saturday afternoon inside Trent Gymnasium. J.C. Smith now stands at 16-6 overall, 9-6 in the CIAA, and 3-2 in the Western Division; while the Lady Blue Bears fall to 8-13 overall, 4-10 in the conference, and 2-3 in the division.
Johnson C. Smith trailed by as much as eight (16-8) midway through the first half. The Lady Golden Bulls quickly closed the gap with an 8-0 scoring run. Junior guard Shontanette Shaw (Raeford, NC) popped a jumper from the left wing followed by back to back three-pointers from sophomore guards Terran Quattlebaum (Mitchellville, MD) and Terica Jones (Raleigh, NC).
As the first half drew to a close, junior guard Tyra Breaux (Baltimore, MD) nailed a jumper to give JCSU a 26-24 advantage with 1:13 on the clock. Livingstone put two points on the board and tied the game with free throws from Kayler McBride. Sophomore forward April Smith (Auburn, AL) scored the final basket of the half and put JCSU ahead 28-26 heading into halftime.
Three and half minutes into the second period, the Lady Blue Bears trailed 37-28 after allowing a 9-2 JCSU run. Both teams had similar offensive production throughout the half. Brittany Wright came off the bench for LC and scored 10 points in two minutes. Wright's play brought the Lady Blue Bears within on (52-51) of tying the contest.
A jumper from senior forward Demetria Bell (Indianapolis, IN) gave JCSU a three-point advantage (54-51) with a little more than three minutes remaining. Rashida Elbourne answered for Livingstone with a three-ball, tying it all up at 54.
The game came down to one final play. The Lady Golden Bulls had possession with 15 seconds on the clock. Coming out of a timeout, Breaux brought the ball up the court and dished to senior forward/guard Sheria Hatcher (Flint, MI) on the right. Hatcher drilled a 14-foot jumper to give JCSU a 56-54 lead with three seconds on the clock. LC failed to get the ball up the court and take a good shot as time expired.
Hatcher had a team-high 14 points, including the game winner with four rebounds and two assists. Bell was one rebound shy of a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds (eight defensive). Smith was a bright spot off the bench with seven points and five boards.
Johnson C. Smith had a 44% night from the field (23-52), compared to 30% for the Lady Blue Bears (20-66). Wright concluded the evening with a game-high 15 points and six rebounds for Livingstone.
The Lady Golden Bulls jump right back into divisional competition on Monday, February 8th against St. Augustine's College. The Lady Falcons got the best of JCSU in Raleigh, NC 71-54 earlier this season (1/28/10). Monday's game also marks WBCA Pink Zone Night in support of the nationwide effort to raise breast cancer awareness. Fans are encouraged to wear pink; tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 pm inside Brayboy Gymnasium.
