Box Score ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – For the second consecutive time in the series, the Lincoln University women's basketball team had Elizabeth City State on the ropes in the second half, but the Lady Lions couldn't halt a big second-half run in a 58-53 CIAA Northern Division loss on Wednesday night at the R.L. Vaughan Center.
 
Cynthia Johnson (Baltimore, MD/Baltimore Polytechnic Institute) led the way with 12 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Courtney Smith (Milwaukee, WI/Nicolet HS), who was named the CIAA Rookie of the Week on Monday, also had 12 points and dished out a pair of assists. Zephrah Pam (Syracuse, NY/Monroe CC) added 11 points and six boards and Courtney Lucas (Washington, DC/Friendship Collegiate Academy) paced Lincoln on the glass with 10 rebounds as the Lady Lions were 16-of-44 shooting for 36 percent.
 
Lincoln (8-15 overall, 4-9 CIAA, 2-5 CIAA North) opened the game with a 10-6 advantage as Pam sank a pair of free throws with 13:23 remaining in the first half. The Lady Lions extended the margin to 22-16 after a Smith 3-pointer with 6:17 left.
 
Elizabeth City State (20-3, 12-1, 7-0) closed the gap to 22-20, but a bucket by Pam gave Lincoln a 24-20 right before halftime.
 
The Lady Lions got a bucket by Tahlar McIntosh (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Alvernia HS) with 17:49 remaining to give Lincoln a 27-22 advantage, but the Lady Vikings answered with a 28-14 run during the next 12 minutes to take a 50-41 lead with just over five minutes left.
 
Lincoln tried to rally and closed the deficit to 51-45 after a Cynthia Johnson (Baltimore, MD/Baltimore Polytechnic Institute) free throw with 3:29 left, but the Elizabeth City State second-half run was too much for the Lady Lions to overcome.
 
Stephanie Harper finished with 13 points and eight rebounds to lead Elizabeth City State. DaShera Boone chipped in with 12 points and Jasmine Whitehurst registered 10 points as the Leady Vikings were 22-of-63 from the field for 37 percent.
 
The Lady Lions return home for the final three regular season games, starting 2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 16 at Manuel Rivero Gymnasium against Virginia Union in the Play 4 Kay Breast Cancer Awareness game. To follow the CIAA Northern Division contest through live stats, click here or to follow on live streaming, click here.
 
Lady Lions Notebook: Courtney Smith (Milwaukee, WI/Nicolet HS) set a career high for rebounds with 10 (her previous high was seven, set on Feb. 2 at Virginia State)…Zephrah Pam (Syracuse, NY/Monroe CC) tied a career-high with 11 points and one assists, while setting a career high in minutes with 22...Tahlar McIntosh (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Alvernia HS) tied a career high for steals with four...The Lady Lions were 4-of-9 from behind the 3-point line (Courtney Smith (Milwaukee, WI/Nicolet HS) (2), Cynthia Johnson (Baltimore, MD/Baltimore Polytechnic Institute) (1) and Courtney Lucas (Washington, DC/Friendship Collegiate Academy) (1))…Lincoln finished with 45 rebounds, 12 steals, 10 assists and one blocked shot…Elizabeth City State takes both games in the season series.