VIENNA, W.Va. – Despite a slow start, the second half belonged to the Lincoln University women's basketball team on Friday night.
 
Behind a furious second-half rally, the Lady Lions (1-0), winners of three of the last four season openers, knocked off Bluefield State, 60-50, in the WVIAC-CIAA Conference Challenge at the Snyder Activity Center.
 
“We came out after halftime fired up,” Lincoln first-year head coach Jessica Kern said. “I told the girls the power of hard work will get you a long way. I want them to take pride in that and with hard work and conditioning, we willed our way to a win.”
 
Perhaps the big difference of the game was at the free-throw line, where Lincoln was 21-of-33, while Bluefield State was just 7-of-12.
 
Denyse Moore (Hampton, Va./Woodside HS) paced the Lady Lions with 16 points, including going 8-of-14 from the free-throw line. Krystal Fluellen (New York, N.Y./Richard Green HS) had a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds and Brittney Waters (Capitol Heights, Md./Charles H. Flowers) chipped in with 13 points and six boards. Mfon Ekanem (Springdale, Md./C.H. Flowers HS) led the way on the glass with a game-high 13 rebounds. The Lady Lions were 19-of-52 from the floor for 37 percent.
 
Lincoln raced out to an 11-5 lead early, but Bluefield State responded with a 17-4 run to take a 22-15 advantage.
 
The Lady Lions went into the break trailing 30-24, but quickly trimmed away at the deficit as a Waters jumper with 17:42 remaining cut the margin to 30-28.
 
However, the Lady Blues (0-1) used a 5-0 run to extend the advantage to 35-28 after a Tiffany Moorer jumper with 16:56 left.
 
That would be the largest lead Bluefield State would have in the half as Lincoln rallied and used a 13-6 run, capped by a Waters free throw to tie the game at 41 with 9:32 remaining.
 
The Lady Lions dominated the final nine minutes by out-scoring the Lady Blues, 19-9, to get the victory.
 
Dragana Tomic led the way for the Lady Blues with 14 points, while Charlene Diggs had 11 points. Tasia Nolan added 11 rebounds as Bluefield State was 20-of-74 shooting for 27 percent.
 
Lincoln concludes the WVIAC-CIAA Conference Challenge 4 p.m., on Saturday, Nov. 12 against host Ohio Valley University at the Snyder Activity Center.