Nine of 10 Golden Bulls scored against Fayetteville State
Box Score
Box Score vs. Fayetteville State
Charlotte, NC – The Johnson C. Smith University women's basketball team fell short of the upset in a 71-62 loss to Fayetteville State University in a divisional contest Saturday evening at Brayboy Gymnasium. JCSU moves to 5-11 overall, 2-5 in the CIAA, and 0-1 in the South; while the Lady Broncos improve to 15-2, 7-0 in the conference, and 1-0 in the division.
The Golden Bulls stepped up to the challenge of facing the top team in the CIAA early in the first half. The tone was set by a three pointer from senior guard
Brittany Dorsett (Winston-Salem, NC) to tie the game 9-9 with 13:40 left to play. Junior guard
LaKendra Wilkerson followed with a layup in the paint to give JCSU their first lead of the contest (11-9).
Back to back buckets by junior guards
Kaylah Gholson (Brooklyn, NY) and
Deanna Downer (Elberton, GA) moved the Golden Bulls ahead 19-14 ahead the nine minute mark. The Lady Broncos responded with a 10-0 run over the next minutes to regain an advantage. The scoring drought was broken with a free throw from sophomore center
Chelsea Faulhaber (Spartanburg, SC) and then a layup by Gholson.
Three pointers by sophomore forward
Brinee' Dancer and Gholson kept JCSU out in front for the remainder of the period. Fayetteville State trailed 32-30 at halftime. The Golden Bulls shot an impressive 50% (14-28) from the floor compared to 44% (14-32) for FSU. JCSU won the rebounding battle 21-12, despite being outscored 20-14 in the paint.
Gholson had a first half team-high of seven points and three assists. Dancer and Dorsett supported the scoring effort with five points apiece. Eight different players scored points for JCSU in the opening.
Akysia Resper had the hot hand for the Lady Broncos with eight points, shooting 75% (3-4) from the floor. Alicia Person and Tierra Coleman chipped in with six points each.
Even though the Golden Bulls continued to show a solid effort in the second half, the game got away from them. Shuanda Ashford hit a three-pointer to start the final frame. FSU built on their small lead and never trailed again. The Lady Broncos eventually closed out the game with free throws down the stretch.
“Tonight, we played with a lot more confidence and poise, despite the outcome,” said JCSU head coach
Stephen Joyner, Jr. “We won't look at the final score for this game; we have to exam our effort and continue to be this type of team the rest of the season.”
Dorsett finished with a team-high 14 points, followed by Gholson with 11 points and four assists. Downer nearly closed in on a double-double with 10 rebounds and eight points. Nine out of 10 Golden Bulls scored in the contest.
Kristen Hanzer led FSU with a game-high 19 points with six rebounds and six assists. Resper and Person concluded the contest with 16 and 14 points, respectively.
JCSU will travel to Raleigh, NC for their next game against Saint Augustine's University on Wednesday, January 23rd. Game time is slated for 5:30 p.m. inside Emery Gymnasium.
