Box Score LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pa. – Denyse Moore (Hampton, Va./Woodside HS) did most of her damage in the first half and hit two crucial free throws in the final 30 seconds as the Lincoln University women's basketball team held off Virginia State, 69-67, on Thursday night in a CIAA Northern Division showdown at Manuel Rivero Hall.
 
“All year I didn't feel like we fought for forty minutes,” Lincoln head coach Jessica Kern said. “Tonight we battled hard for 40 minutes and I am really proud of the effort our girls gave tonight.”
 
Moore scored 13 of her game-high 19 points in the first half to pace Lincoln (6-17 overall, 2-9 CIAA, 2-3 CIAA Northern). She was 7-of-14 from the field and 5-of-6 at the free-throw line, while also finishing with seven assists, seven rebounds, two blocks and one steal. Brittney Waters (Capitol Heights, Md./Charles H. Flowers) added 12 points – all 3-pointers. Cynthia Johnson (Baltimore, MD/Baltimore Polytechnic Institute) also poured in 12 points and Mfon Ekanem (Springdale, Md./C.H. Flowers HS), plagued by foul trouble for most of the second half, led the way defensively with a game-high 14 rebounds. The Lady Lions were 24-of-62 shooting for 39 percent.
 
“I'm a lot more comfortable with shooting free throws,” Moore said. “I have been working on them and I knew our game would come down to free throws.”
 
The Lady Lions fell behind, 19-12, after a Da'Shae Jones 3-pointer with 11:36 remaining in the opening half, but Lincoln rallied and took a 25-24 advantage after a pair of free throws by Moore with 5:28 left. The Lady Trojans (10-11, 2-7, 1-3) grabbed a 30-27 lead with 2:04 left after a Marqulla Evans jumper, but Lincoln responded by a free throw and jumper by Moore to send the two teams into the break tied at 30.
 
In the second half, Lincoln used a 14-1 run to take a 46-32 advantage after a Waters 3-pointer with 15:13 remaining. However, Virginia State rallied and grabbed a 56-55 lead with 6:11 left after a three-point play by Quiana Kizer.
 
Lincoln took control in the final six minutes and took a 61-56 lead after a free throw by Johnson, but the Lady Trojans refused to go quietly and cut the margin to 66-65 after a LaMesha Deal jumper with 28 seconds. Moore and Sharay DuBose (Salisbury, Md./Parkside HS) sank free throws down the stretch to give Lincoln the win.
 
Deal finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Jones added 12 points. Kizer chipped in with 11 as the Lady Trojans shot 35 percent (24-of-69).
 
Lincoln will have four days off before its next CIAA Northern Division contest as the Lady Lions play host to Elizabeth City State 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 7 at Manuel Rivero Hall. Catch all the action through live stats at: http://www.sidearmstats.com/lincoln/wbball/index.htm.