LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pa. – Cynthia Johnson (Baltimore, MD/Baltimore Polytechnic Institute)'s 3-pointer sent the game into overtime, but the Lincoln University women's team couldn't hold on in the extra period as the Lady Lions were edged, 70-68, to Fayetteville State on Thursday night in a CIAA contest at Manuel Rivero Hall.
 
“All year long I feel like I have been singing the same old song – turnovers, free throws, missed layups - that's been the same old story for us the entire year,” Lincoln head coach Jessica Kern said. “I've got a lot of support from the coaches around the conference, but more importantly these kids are working extremely hard. And if we don't cut down on turnovers and if we don't capitalize at the free-throw line we won't be able to turn the corner.”
 
Johnson led all scorers with a career-high 18 points, including going 7-of-11 from the foul line. Denyse Moore (Hampton, Va./Woodside HS) and Sharay DuBose (Salisbury, Md./Parkside HS) added 15 and 11 points, respectively. Brittney Waters (Capitol Heights, Md./Charles H. Flowers) came off the bench to finish with 10 points, while Mfon Ekanem (Springdale, Md./C.H. Flowers HS) led the way defensively with 12 rebounds. Lincoln was 21-of-71 shooting for 30 percent.
 
The Lady Lions (4-11 overall, 0-4 CIAA) got off to a good start against the Lady Broncos by taking a 19-11 advantage with 7:25 remaining in the first half after a free throw by Ekanem. Fayetteville State battled back and cut the margin to 23-21 after a jumper by Bria Robinson with 51 seconds left. However, DuBose scored the final two points of the half to give the Lady Lions a 25-21 lead.
 
Fayetteville State (7-6, 1-3) used a 22-10 run to grab a 43-35 advantage with 10:21 remaining. But the Lady Lions refused to go away quietly and rallied by slowly chipping away at the deficit and took a 53-52 lead after a Moore layup with 1:16 left.
 
The Lady Broncos scored three straight points before Johnson sank a 3-pointer with 17 seconds left in regulation.
 
In overtime, neither team had a lead larger than three points as Fayetteville State got a jumper by Je'Lena Robertson with 1:41 remaining to push the advantage to 69-66 and the Lady Lions were forced to play from behind. A Moore bucket cut the deficit to 69-68, but that was as close as Lincoln would get as Alicia Person sank one of two free throws with two seconds left to give Fayetteville State the win.
 
Akysia Resper paced Fayetteville State with 16 points, while Bria Robinson added 12 points. Robertson chipped in with 10 points and Makeea Suggs finished with nine points and 10 boards as the Lady Broncos shot 47 percent (30-of-64) from the floor.
 
Lincoln opens its five-game road trip 5:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 16 in Winston-Salem, N.C., as the Lady Lions meet Winston-Salem State in a CIAA contest.