Box Score LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pa. – Cynthia Johnson (Baltimore, MD/Baltimore Polytechnic Institute) scored 17 points in the first half and Tahlar McIntosh (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Alvernia HS) fell one point shy of tying a career high as the Lincoln University women's basketball team used a strong first half in holding off Johnson C. Smith, 68-58, in the CIAA opener on Thursday night at Manuel Rivero Gymnasium.
 
“We got away from tough defense for awhile in the second half,” Lincoln head coach Jessica Kern said. “Brittany Dorsett made us pay midway through the second half, but we went back to what worked and that's what got us the win.”
 
Johnson finished with 18 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals. McIntosh added 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Brittney Waters (Capitol Heights, Md./Charles H. Flowers) poured in eight points as the Lady Lions (5-6 overall, 1-0 CIAA) shot 37 percent (23-of-62).
 
Lincoln raced out to an 18-11 advantage after a 3-pointer by Johnson with 9:40 remaining in the opening half, but Johnson C. Smith rallied and cut the deficit to 20-19 after a Deanna Downer jumper with 8:04 left.
 
The Lady Lions responded by closing out the half on a 16-5 run to take a 36-24 lead into the break.
 
Lincoln extended the advantage to 55-36 after a pair of free throws by Alaysia Washington (Washington, DC/Friendship Collegiate Academy) with 12:09 remaining, but the Golden Bulls answered with a 32-10 run to close the gap to 64-56 with 2:38 left.
 
That was as close as Johnson C. Smith would get as the Lady Lions got buckets down the stretch by McIntosh and Waters to get the victory.
 
Dorsett paced the Golden Bulls with 16 points, including going 10-of-13 from the free-throw line. LaKendra Wilkerson added 10 points and 17 rebounds as Johnson C. Smith (4-6, 1-1) was 20-of-62 from the floor for 32 percent.
 
Lincoln returns to action with a CIAA contest 2 p.m., on Saturday, Jan. 5 at Manuel Rivero Gymnasium against Winston-Salem State University. To follow the action through live stats, click here.
 
Lady Lions Notebook: Under Jessica Kern, Lincoln improved to 1-1 against Johnson C. Smith…The Lady Lions finished with four 3-pointers (two by Cynthia Johnson (Baltimore, MD/Baltimore Polytechnic Institute) and one each by Courtney Smith (Milwaukee, WI/Nicolet HS) and Amani Clark (Middletown, DE/Appoquinimink HS))…Lincoln held a slim margin in rebounds, 47-44…The Lady Lions had 16 assists, seven steals and three blocked shots…Lincoln out-scored Johnson C. Smith in paint, 28-26; points off turnovers, 22-19; fastbreak points, 8-4; and bench points, 19-16.