ETTRICK, VA. (January 29, 2009) – Playing on the road against Virginia State University, ranked 6th in the recent NCAA Division II Atlantic Region rankings, the Lady Lions gave the hosts everything they wanted and then some before falling, 81-65 Thursday night at Daniel Gym. (BOXSCORE)
Freshman Sharay DuBose (Salisbury, Md./Parkside HS) led three Lincoln players in double digits with 18 points. . Playing the entire 40 minutes for the fourth consecutive game, Chanelle Harris (Philadelphia, PA/Penn Wood) contributed 13 points and seven assists. Junior Noel Webster (Hagerstown, MD/Elkton) scored 10 of her season-high 14 points in the first half for the Lady Lions, who made six of their season-high 10 3-pointers in the second half. Junior Tanina Cook (Landover, MD/Charles H. Flowers) grabbed a team-high eight rebounds for Lincoln.
The Lady Lions trailed, 65-57, with 5:15 left following a Harris 3-pointer and 67-59 with 4:30 remaining after a Webster jumper. Lincoln had the ball with an opportunity to get closer, but VSU blocked a shot and Phillips scored to give the Lady Trojans a 10-point advantage. The Lady Trojans then recorded three straight steals and turned each one into seven points, the last three courtesy of a Phillips trey from the corner with 3:04 remaining that gave VSU a 76-59 edge.
Lincoln opened the second half by making three straight 3-pointers on its first three possessions. Angelle Green (Yeadon, PA/Penn Wood) drilled one from the top of the key. DuBose followed with one from the wing and Harris completed the burst with a shot from the corner. Harris' basket tied the score, 41-41 with 17:31 remaining.
However, the Lady Trojans started to take control of the contest behind a flurry of steals. Virginia State recorded 12 of its 22 steals after intermission. Green made her second 3-pointer with 13:10 remaining in the second half to bring Lincoln to within, 50-47. Virginia State responded with a 12-2 burst over the next five minutes to open a 62-49 advantage.
Lincoln trailed 37-32 at intermission. The Lady Lions stayed in the game on the strength of 50 percent shooting (12-for-24).
The Lady Lions overcame a slow start to grab a 24-21 lead with seven minutes, 23 seconds remaining in the first half following a Britny Adams (Bloomingdale, MI/Bloomingdale) 3-pointer and a Noel Webster (Hagerstown, MD/Elkton) shot that turned a 21-19 deficit into a Lincoln lead.
After falling behind, 9-0, the Lady Lions fought back behind the spirited play of Harris, who fueled a 15-4 burst with five points, two assists, two steals and one rebound. DuBose pulled up from 14 feet and gave Lincoln its first lead of the game, 15-13, with 13:04 remaining in the first half. Harris also threaded a beautiful pass to Webster on a 2-on-1 fastbreak that tied the game, 13-13.
Lincoln will return to action Monday night when it hosts Fayetteville State at 5:30 p.m. at Rivero Hall. Virginia State travels to Saint Paul's College Saturday afternoon for a 2:00 p.m. start.
--LU--
