Karnina Bunch had a game-high 21 points, along with five rebounds, three assists, and two steals in the 61-53 win over Lincoln
Box Score Charlotte, NC – The Johnson C. Smith University women's basketball team defeated The Lincoln University 61-53 in the first CIAA contest for both teams on Wednesday, December 18th at Brayboy Gymnasium. JCSU improves to 5-4 overall and 1-0 in conference, while the Lady Lions fall to 6-4 overall and 0-1 in CIAA play.
The first half had a stagnant tempo for both teams. Senior guard
Marquesha Sparks (San Fernando, CA) made a layup at the 9:36 mark for a 10-8 lead for JCSU. The Golden Bulls managed to maintain an advantage and led by as much as five (27-22) before ending the half with a 27-24 lead.
Senior guard
Karnina Bunch (Vicksburg, MS) and sophomore center
Ashley Porter (Winston-Salem, NC) each had eight points at the break. JCSU shot 32.4% (11-34) from the floor, but Lincoln only connected on 30% (9-30) of their shot attempts.
JCSU accelerated past Lincoln in the second half with a 9-0 run around the 16-minute mark. The scoring burst extended the Golden Bulls advantage to 41-30 with 12:52 to play. The Lady Lions rallied back and cut their deficit down to 50-49 with a made free throw from Courtney Smith with 3:40 on the clock.
The Golden Bulls closed out the final 3:40 by outscoring Lincoln 11-4 and earning a win in-conference.
Bunch finished with a game-high 21 points, along with five rebounds, three assists, and two steals. This is her third consecutive game scoring 20 or more points. Porter finished with nine points, four rebounds, and three steals. Sparks and junior center
Chelsea Faulhaber (Spartanburg, SC) chipped in eight points apiece.
Amani Clark, Cynthia Johnson, and Zephrah Pam all had 12 points of their own for the Lady Lions.
The Golden Bulls return to action at home on Saturday, December 21st against Belmont Abbey College. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at Brayboy Gymnasium. This will be the final contest of the 2013 calendar year.
