JCSU Women's Basketball Uses Fourth Quarter Surge to Down Gannon University 62-51
Charlotte, N.C. (Nov. 11, 2017) – The Johnson C. Smith University women's basketball team had three players score in double figures and used a fourth quarter surge to down visiting Gannon University 62-51 in the CIAA-PSAC Challenge in Brayboy Gym on Saturday afternoon.
In the first quarter, the visiting Golden Knights took control early, bolting to a 14-8 lead after a Chelsea Rourke three pointer. JCSU would trim the lead to 14-11 following a
Malia Rivers (Pageland, S.C.) triple and following a Gannon free throw trailed 15-11 at the end of the quarter.
The Golden Bulls battled back to take a five-point lead in the second quarter. Rivers hit another three-pointer putting JCSU ahead 24-19 with 3:56 left in the stanza, but Gannon would rally to tie the game at 28-28 with a jumper with 44 seconds remaining, with the teams going into the break tied.
Gannon started strong in the third, building a 36-30 lead before JCSU tied it at 38-38 on a Rivers basket. Rivers would can another three point right before the end of the quarter to boost JCSU to the 43-40 lead.
The two teams battled to a 45-45 tie, the eight of the game, at the 7:22 mark of the fourth quarter. JCSU then took over, going on a 6-0 run to go ahead 51-45 on an
Asha Jordan (Monroe, N.C.) three pointer. Gannon would cut the JCSU lead to three points following a Julia Braungart three pointer with 2:21 left, making it 54-51. That would be the last points the Golden Knights would score, as JCSU embarked on an 8-0 run to close the game, as JCSU knocked down 7-of-9 nine free throws down to the stretch to take the win.
Individually, Rivers led all JCSU scorers with 16 points. Senior teammate
Asha Jordan had 13 points and sophomore
Jamia Johnson (Durham, N.C.) contributed 11 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, for the first double-double of the season.
JCSU improves to 2-0 on the season and will take to the road for their next game, traveling to Clark Atlanta on Wednesday, Nov. 15.
