Box Score LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pa.  – Zephrah Pam (Syracuse, NY/Monroe CC) and Tahlar McIntosh (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Alvernia HS) each had 11 points, but it wasn't enough to lift the Lincoln University women's basketball team as the Lady Lions suffered a 52-45 setback to Virginia Union in a CIAA Northern Division game at Manuel Rivero Gymnasium on Saturday.
 
“We have to learn how to win games here at Lincoln, Lincoln head coach Jessica Kern said. “There's really no excuse for losing. Pam can score in the paint and I think everyone in the conference knows that. We have to give her the ball consistently.”
 
Pam scored eight of her career-high 11 points in the first half and finished with 13 rebounds to pace the Lincoln offense. McIntosh added seven of her 11 points in the first half and also finished in double figures in rebounding with 10. Mfon Ekanem (Springdale, Md./C.H. Flowers HS) chipped in with a career-best nine points as the Lady Lions were 17-of-58 shooting for 29 percent.
 
“We stopped playing defense and just worried about playing offense,” Pam said.
 
Virginia Union (12-11 overall, 9-5 CIAA, 6-2 CIAA North) grabbed a 14-8 advantage with 9:51 remaining after an Ashle Freeman bucket, but Lincoln closed out the first half strong and used a 16-7 run during the final nine minutes to take a 24-21 lead into intermission.
 
With the game tied at 31 with 11:36 remaining, Virginia Union used an 11-2 run during the next five minutes to grab a 42-33 advantage.
 
Lincoln (8-16, 4-10, 2-6) rallied behind an 11-2 run to tie the contest at 44 after a Courtney Lucas (Washington, DC/Friendship Collegiate Academy) jumper with 2:30 left. But Virginia Union proved to be too much and closed out the contest on an 8-1 run to get the win.
 
Melyce Brown paced the Lady Panthers with 19 points and seven rebounds. Ashle Freeman had 15 points, while ShaHadah Barret chipped in with 10 points and six boards as Virginia Union shot 38 percent (20-of-53).
 
The Lady Lions will honor five seniors on Wednesday night as Lincoln takes on Chowan University in a CIAA Northern Division showdown. Tip-off is 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 20 at Manuel Rivero Gymnasium and to follow the CIAA Northern Division contest through live stats, click here or to follow on live streaming, click here.
 
Lady Lions Notebook: Mfon Ekanem (Springdale, Md./C.H. Flowers HS) broke her career high for scoring with nine points…Zephrah Pam (Syracuse, NY/Monroe CC) tied a career high in rebounds and points (13 boards and 11 points)…The Lady Lions out-rebounded the Lady Panthers, 55-36…Lincoln finished with nine assists, seven steals and a pair of blocks…The Lady Lions held the edge in points in the paint, 30-20; second-chance points, 13-6, and bench points, 13-2…Virginia Union took the two-game season series with Lincoln…The Lady Lions will honor five seniors prior to Wednesday's CIAA contest with Chowan (Deynse Moore, Tahlar McIntosh (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Alvernia HS), Mfon Ekanem (Springdale, Md./C.H. Flowers HS), Brittney Waters (Capitol Heights, Md./Charles H. Flowers) and Krystal Fluellen (New York, N.Y./Richard Green HS)).