Box Score Charlotte, N.C. (Jan. 31, 2015) – The Johnson C. Smith women's basketball team clawed back from a 19 point halftime deficit to tie it late, but could not gain the lead and fell 67-65 to the visiting Shaw Lady Bears in a wild CIAA game from Brayboy Gym on Saturday night.
Shaw came out hot in the first half, taking an early 9-4 lead at the 14:51 mark following a Kaula Jacks jumper. JCSU then went on a 13-0 run over the next six minutes to take a 17-9 lead capped by an
Amena Brent (Chicago, Ill.) jumper. During the run, JCSU got two three pointers, the first
from Anika Jones (Shelby, N.C.) and
Shanequa Phifer (Salisbury, N.C.). Shaw then stormed back with a 10-2 run of their own to trim the JCSU lead to 20-18 with a pair of Umeka Benson free throws. JCSU would again boost the lead to three points after Brent knocked down a free throw. Micah Brooks was able to tie the game for the Lady Bears at 21-21 at the 2:29 mark. Shaw regain the 23-21 lead on another pair of free throws from Benson.
After a JCSU miss, Benson put Shaw up 25-21 at the 1:18 mark with two more free throws. JCSU's
Saleese Stovall (Roanoke, Va.) was able to get a layup to drop for JCSU, climbing to within 25-23 with 1:05 remaining. After a JCSU turnover Shaw got a three pointer from Kaiya Coleman to put the Lady Bears up 28-23. Another JCSU turnover with three seconds remaining gave Shaw the chance for the last shot, but Bryann Guyton couldn't get the running jumper to go as Shaw went into the halftime break up 28-23.
Anika Jones got the Golden Bulls rolling in the second half, cutting the Shaw lead to 28-25, but the Lady Bears got two baskets from Verdine Warner and one from Benson to bring the lead to 34-25 at the 18:10 mark. JCSU's
Ashley Porter (Winston-Salem, N.C.) followed with a basket but Shaw got a layup from Warner and a foul. Warner's free throw extended the lead to 37-27 at the 17:23 mark.
Down 39-29,
LaKendra Wilkerson (Greensboro, N.C.) was able to get a layup to go for the Golden Bulls to draw within eight points at 39-31 with 15:07 to play. JCSU chipped away at the lead again after a JCSU steal by
Asha Jordan (Monroe, N.C) that led to a fast break layup from Phifer to make it 45-36 with 11:50 to play.
After a JCSU turnover, Shaw extended their lead to 15 points, their largest of the game, at 51-36 on Benson jumper at the 9:35. The Lady Bear lead would again be extended when Markela Snipes hit two free throws to make it 53-36. LaQuisha Taylor would hit a layup to make it 55-36 Shaw, but
Shanequa Phifer nailed a three pointer for JCSU to draw within 55-39. JCSU then forced two straight turnovers and two baskets from
Asha Jordan to close to 55-43.
Down 59-45, JCSU would get a three-point play on a layup and free throw from
Amena Brent with 5:30 left. Kaula Jacks made it 60-48 Shaw with a free throw but Phifer hit a running jumper for the Golden Bulls to cut it to 60-50 at the under five minute media timeout. After the teams traded turnovers, JCSU's
Asha Jordan would get to the line, hitting both ends of a one-and-one opportunity to make it 61-52 with 3:36 to play. After the free throws, JCSU forced a Shaw turnover and converted on a Jordan three pointer to draw within 61-55. Shaw was then whistled for another traveling call and JCSU could not convert as
Ashley Porter's jumper rolled off the right side. Shaw turned the ball over on their fifth straight possession, giving JCSU the ball, down 61-55 with 2:26 remaining.
After a JCSU timeout, Wilkerson drew a foul and stepped to the line, hitting one shot to make it 61-56 at the 2:17 mark. On the ensuing possession, Shaw turned it over for the sixth straight possession, but JCSU's layup attempt rolled off prompting a JCSU foul. Shaw's Bryann Guyton hit a free throw to make it 62-56 at the 2:09 mark.
Ashley Porter then brought JCSU to within 62-58 after a layup with 1:42 left. Shaw's Benson then missed two free throws and Porter got an off-balanced layup to go making it 62-60 Shaw with 1:04 left and bringing the Brayboy Gym crowd to its feet.
Shaw's Micah Brooks hit a free throw to make it 63-60 with 57 seconds left, but
Larryqua Hall (Atlanta, Ga.) banked in a three-pointer from the left side to tie the game at 63-63. Shaw then hit two free throws to provide a 65-63 lead but
LaKendra Wilkerson put back a JCSU miss to knot it at 65-65. With 10.8 seconds left, following a JCSU foul, Benson regained the lead for Shaw with two free throws, spurring a Shaw timeout.
After the timeout, JCSU missed a layup attempt but held on to the jump ball possession with 1.3 seconds left. Following a full JCSU timeout, the Golden Bulls three point attempt was no good, as the Shaw Bears escape Brayboy with the 67-65 win.
Shaw got a game-high 18 points from Umeka Benson. Also scoring in double-figure for the Lady Bears was Micah Brooks (14), Verdine Warner (11) and Bryann Guyton (11). The Golden Bulls shot 32% from the game and got 13 points from
Shanequa Phifer.
Ashley Porter had 11 points and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds in the loss.
JCSU falls to 16-5, 6-4 in CIAA play while Shaw improves to 14-9, 7-4 in league play. JCSU will hit the road on Wednesday, Feb. 4 for a date with Lincoln.
