LaKendra Wilkerson had an impressive double-double of 16 points and 15 rebounds despite the loss to Saint Augustine's
Box Score
Box Score vs. Saint Augustine's
Charlotte, NC – The Johnson C. Smith University women's basketball team comes up shy of pulling off a second half comeback in a 72-66 loss to Saint Augustine's University on Wednesday evening at Brayboy Gymnasium. JCSU moves to 7-15 overall, 4-9 in the CIAA, and 2-5 in the division; while the Lady Falcons improve to 11-11 overall, 7-6 conference, and 4-3 in the Southern.
The Golden Bulls allowed Saint Augustine's to dictate the tempo in the first half. Senior guard
Brittany Dorsett (Winston-Salem, NC) hit a jumper with 9:53 to tie the score 20-20. Autumn Smith-Faulkner connected on a three-pointer on the next possession. SAU began expanding their lead from that point. JCSU fell behind 31-21 after an 11-1 scoring run by the Lady Falcons.
Freshman guard
LaTondra Morrow (Charlotte, NC) scored the final bucket of the half, but the Golden Bulls trailed 39-28 at the break. JCSU shot 33% (11-33) from the floor, compared to 53% (17-32) shooting for the Lady Falcons. SAU had a big contribution from the reserves, outscoring the Golden Bulls 20-6 in first half bench points.
Dorsett had eight points at the half, including two three-pointers. Junior forward
LaKendra Wilkerson made an impact early with eight points and seven rebounds. Smith-Faulkner led the Lady Falcons with nine points and four boards.
JCSU began chipping away in the second half. A 12-6 run in the opening seven minutes brought the SAU lead down to 45-40. However, the Lady Falcons consistently responded on their offensive possessions. The Golden Bulls trailed 54-44 at the 10-minute mark. JCSU rattled off nine unanswered points to draw within one. Four different Golden Bulls scored during the 9-0 run.
Junior guard
Deanna Downer (Elberton, GA) was fouled with 4:01 on the clock and sent to the line to shoot two. Downer made both to tie the game 58-58. JCSU made a stop on defense, which resulted in a layup from sophomore forward
Brinee' Dancer. Dancer's score in the post gave JCSU a 60-58 advantage with 3:37 left to play.
Saint Augustine's faced a deficit for a little over a minute before moving ahead again. Jeanne-Marie Wilson successfully made two foul shots for the Lady Falcons to retake the lead. JCSU allowed nine consecutive points and fell behind 67-61 with 42 seconds remaining. The Lady Falcons essentially closed out the game at the free throw line.
Despite shooting 32% (9-28) from the field, SAU hit 78% (14-18) of their free throws for the win. On the other hand, JCSU improved their shooting to 42% (16-38) from the floor, but only made five of nine free throws attempted.
Wilkerson had a strong double-double of 15 boards and a season-high 16 points. Dorsett followed with 13 points and four rebounds. Downer had an awkward triple-double of 10 points, 10 boards, and 11 turnovers.
Five scored double digits for Saint Augustine's led by Ebony Spencer with 16 points. Terri Jacobs had 12 points and eight rebounds, followed by Smith-Faulkner, Wilson, and Jasmine Cuffee with 11 points, 11 points, and 10 points, respectively.
JCSU look towards their home regular season finale in their next contest against longtime rival Livingstone College. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. inside Brayboy Gymnasium. The Golden Bulls will recognize senior and leading scorer
Brittany Dorsett during the home finale.
