The Golden Bulls faced an uphill battle throughout the road contest against Saint Augustine's
Box Score Box Score vs. Saint Augustine's
Raleigh, NC – The Johnson C. Smith University women's basketball team lost 77-69 to divisional foe Saint Augustine's University on Wednesday evening at Emery Gymnasium. JCSU moves to 5-12 overall, 2-6 in the conference, and 0-2 in the South; while the Lady Falcons improve to 9-8 overall, 5-3 in the CIAA, and 2-0 in the division.
JCSU got off to a slow start and found themselves digging out of a hole the entire game. Saint Augustine's set the pace with a 15-2 run in the opening seven minutes of play. The Golden Bulls responded by rattling off eight consecutive points of their own (15-10) over the next three minutes. However, the Lady Falcons stretched out their lead again with a 9-1 scoring run.
At the break, the Golden Bulls trailed 31-20. JCSU turned the ball over 16 times, compared to the seven forced on Saint Augustine's. The Lady Falcons shot 42% (13-31) in the first, while JCSU shot 36% (9-25).
Sophomore forward
Brinee' Dancer (Duncanville, TX) had an opening team-high of six points, followed by senior guard
Brittany Dorsett (Winston-Salem, NC) and junior guards
Bianca Parker (New Castle, DE) and
Kaylah Gholson (Brooklyn, NY) with four points each.
Autumn Smith-Faulkner led the Lady Falcons with seven points.
The second half appeared to belong to Saint Augustine's, although JCSU outscored them 49-46. The Lady Falcons led by as much as 20 (67-47) with less than five minutes remaining. The Golden Bulls chipped away at the deficit and made the final score respectable. Despite the loss, JCSU beat out the Lady Falcons 22-10 in the final five minutes.
The Golden Bulls shot 59% (16-27) in the second half to improve their overall shooting percentage to 48% from the field. However, JCSU committed 29 turnovers and narrowly lost the rebounding 31-26.
Dorsett finished with a game-high 20 points, matching her career-high at JCSU. Junior forward
LaKendra Wilkerson (Greensboro, NC) pitched in 14 points, five rebounds, and three steals. Junior guard
Deanna Downer (Elberton, GA) concluded with 10 points and five boards.
Regime McCombs and Porscha Walton led Saint Augustine's with 16 and 14 points, respectively. Terri Jacobs also contributed 11 points.
JCSU will remain on the road for their next contest against longtime rival Livingstone College on Saturday, January 26th. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at Trent Gymnasium in Salisbury, NC.
