JCSU Women's Basketball Completes Huge Comeback in 84-73 OT Win Over Lincoln
JCSU Sports Information
Box Score Charlotte, N.C. (Dec 15, 2015) – The Johnson C. Smith University women's basketball team battled back from as many as 19 points down in the second half and rode a huge spurt in overtime to take an 84-73 win over visiting Lincoln in a wild CIAA opener for both teams on Tuesday night at Brayboy Gym.
JCSU (7-4, 1-0 CIAA) had four players in double-figures, led by 17 points from freshman
A'Diyah Ussery (Shelby, N.C.). Senior
Larryqua Hall had 13 points and eight rebounds while
MaryAnna Moore (Laurens, S.C.) returned her second double-double of the season by posting 12 points and 11 rebounds. Senior
Amena Brent also had 10 points in the win for JCSU.
Lincoln (4-4, 0-1 CIAA) got a game-high 25 points from Amani Clark and 13 from Courtney Smith. The other Lion in double figures was Teira Pendleton with 10 points.
Lincoln started hot in the first quarter, bolting to a 5-0 lead after a pair of free throws from Tiera Pendleton. JCSU would bounce back, closing the gap to 6-6 after
Quinesha Lynch (Rocky Mount, N.C.) nailed a jumper at the 7:32 mark. Lincoln would steadily build the lead to seven points by the 1:35 mark after Dejah Taylor converted a layup to make it 16-9.
It was much of the same in the second quarter as the Lions would build their cushion to 10 points at 25-15 after LenNee Kimbell knocked home a jumper with 5:23 left. Lincoln would go up 12 points, 28-16 on an Amani Clark layup with 3:40 remaining, giving Lincoln it's largest lead of the first half. JCSU would cut it to seven points at 29-22, but the Lions were able to build the lead back to 34-22 going into the halftime break.
In the third quarter, Lincoln would build their lead to 19 points after a Courtney Smith jumper that made it 46-27 with 5:03 left. JCSU would then whittle the lead to 52-40 by the end of the half after
Ussery nailed a three pointer from the corner with 43 seconds remaining in the quarter.
JCSU would continue to chip away at the Lincoln lead, cutting it to 55-52 at the 4:47 mark after a
Larryqua Hall free throw. With JCSU trailing 57-54, Lincoln's Tiera Pendleton hit a free throw to extend the lead to four points but on the next JCSU possession,
MaryAnna Moore slipped by the Lion defense and hit an easy layup t draw within two points at 58-56. After a Lincoln jumper, JCSU wasn't able to connect, but Lincoln turned the ball over, giving the Golden Bulls the ball with 2:06 left, down 60-56.
After a JCSU timeout, JCSU was unable to connect on a jumper and Lincoln got two free throws from Courtney Smith that made it 62-56. With 58.2 seconds left, JCSU's Moore missed two free throws and the Golden Bulls then put Kimbell on the line for two free throws. After Kimbell missed both shots, JCSU missed three straight layups before
Krista White (Dayton, Ohio) was fouled with 39.9 left. After hitting both shots, bringing JCSU to within 62-58, Lincoln called timeout.
Out of the timeout, JCSU was forced to foul to stop the clock, sending Amani Clark to the stripe, where she hit one shot to make it 63-58. On the next JCSU possession, Hall would unleash a wild three pointer and got her own rebound, laying it in and getting fouled. After the made free throw made it 63-61 Lincoln with 26.6 left.
After another JCSU foul, Lincoln's Lisa Saunders extended the Lion lead to 64-61 with 22.3 left, by hitting one free throw. Saunders secured the long rebound and JCSU fouled again, putting her on the line with 19.5 left. Saunders hit both shots making it 66-61.
After a JCSU timeout, the Golden Bulls got a running layup from
Jaylaan Dillard (Raleigh, N.C.), cutting the lead to 66-63 with 14.2 left. After being fouled, Lincoln made one free throw making it 67-63 and then
JeKeyah McNeil (Fayetteville, N.C) knocked down a huge three pointer from the corner making it 67-66
Lincoln was sent to the line for two shots, but Saunders was only able to connect on one shot to lead 68-66. With 7.2 left. JCSU then got a breakaway and
Cierra Levias (Seattle, Wash.) drove to the basket and laid it in with 3.1 seconds left to force overtime, tied 68-68.
In the extra session, both teams traded baskets to remain tied at 70-70. After Lincoln went ahead 71-70, Ussery put JCSU ahead for the first time, 73-71 after a long three pointer in the corner with 3:27 remaining.
The Golden Bulls stretched the lead to 75-71 after
MaryAnna Moore collected an Ussery miss and calmly laid it in with 1:55 left. Lincoln could not score and on the next JCSU possession and
Amena Brent (Chicago, Ill.) delivered back-to-back baskets, making it 79-71 with 53 seconds left.
After a missed Lincoln three pointer, JCSU was able to put the game away at the line by hitting five free throws down the stretch, taking the 84-73 win.
"I'm proud of the way our underclassmen stepped up tonight after having such a huge deficit," said JCSU head coach
Stephen Joyner, Jr. "What we need now is our veteran players to follow in their footsteps and we could really do some damage in conference play."
