The Lincoln University women's basketball team continued their road struggles on Saturday,  falling to Bowie State University 53-45 at the A.C. Jordan Center in Bowie, Maryland

The Lions fall to 4-12 overall and 2-5 in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association games.  The Lady Bulldogs improve to 14-3 overall and 6-1 in CIAA action.

Teira Pendleton (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore Polytech) led Lincoln with 12 points and She'cquan Bailey (Denton, Md/Baltimore City CC) added 11.  Monique Cheek (Teaneck, NJ/Harford Community College) and Pendleton had seven and six rebounds respectively to pace the Lions.  Cheek also led the team with four assists.

Kiara Colston led Bowie state with 18 points.  Kyah Proctor and Ashley Jennings added 11 points apiece. Jennings paced the team with nine rebounds while Colston dished out a team-high four assists.

Lincoln's shooting struggles continued as the team shot just 27.7% for the field; the fifth time in their last eight games that the team shot below 35%.  Lincoln finished the game making 13 of 47 field goals and shot 15-24 from the free throw line (62.5%)

The Lady Bulldogs connected on 20 of 51 shots from the field (39.2%) and were 9-16 from the free throw line (56.3%).

The Lions kept the game close in the early minutes of action and held a 9-8 lead courtesy of two Bailey three-point field goals.  The Lady Bulldogs however closed out the quarter with a 13-1 uprising to take a 21-10 lead after the first period.  Bowie extended the run with the first five points of the second quarter before a Brianna Logan (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley (Siena)) three gave Lincoln their first points of the period.   The Bowie lead oscillated between 11 and 14 points until the final minute of the quarter when consecutive baskets from Logan and Pendleton cut the deficit to ten by the half, 31-21.

Bowie increased their lead to as many as 17 in the third quarter and again in the fourth quarter.  The Lions then used an 11-2 flourish to close the gap to single digits at 51-43 with just 2:23 remaining. Pendleton scored the first four points of the rally and the Lions finished the run on the free throw line with seven consecutive made free throws (three from Bailey, two each from Jaeda Davis (Milwaukee, Wis./ Rufus King HS) and Pendleton).  After Jennings went 1-2 from the free throw line, Diamond Mickle (Philadelphia, Pa./Paul VI (Va.) (Harford C.C.)) scored on a put back to close the gap to seven 52-45.  One more BSU free throw provided the final margin of 53-45.  Lincoln held the Lady Bulldogs without a field goal for the final 4:21 of the period and just two the entire fourth quarter.

Lincoln was outrebounded 43-32 including a 15-13 advantage on the offensive glass.  Bowie turned those offensive boards into 19 points while Lincoln scored just seven on second chance efforts.  Bowie also scored 15 points off LU turnovers while Lincoln scored just ten off of Bowie State miscues.

The Lions return to action on Wednesday, January 18, 2017 when they host Elizabeth City State University.  Tipoff is at 5:30 p.m.