Box Score Michelle Fitzgerald (Baltimore, Md./Md. Academy of Tech & Health Science (N.C. A & T)) recorded her first double-double of the season as the Lincoln University women's basketball team dropped a hard-fought non-conference game at Jefferson University 62-51 at the Gallagher Center in Roxborough, Philadelphia Saturday afternoon.
 
The Lions fall to 1-2 with the loss.  The Rams remain undefeated at 4-0.
 
Fitzgerald connected on 10 of 16 shots from the field for a career high 20 points while also pulling down a career-high 11 rebounds in 28 minutes of action.  Teira Pendleton (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore Polytech) added ten points and six rebounds.  Brianna Logan (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley (Siena)) led all players with five assists while Shecquan Bailey (Salisbury, Md./Snow Hill (Baltimore City C.C.)) added four.
 
Three Rams players reached double figures led by Rachel Day's 16 points and six rebounds.  Jessica Kaminski added 12points and 10 rebounds while Beverly Kum had 12 points and five boards.
 
The Lions never led in this contest as the Rams scored the first two baskets and pulled out to an 16-8 advantage by the end of the first quarter.  Jefferson increased the lead to ten to start the second quarter and led 22-12 at the 7:15 mark of the period when the Lions ran off eight straight points to close the gap to two at 22-20.  Fitzgerald scored the first six points of the run and Ariana Fleming (Newark, Del./Hodgon Vo-Tech) capped it with a steal and subsequent layup at the 5:01 mark.  The Rams closed out the quarter with 7-3 flourish to lead by six at the break.
 
Logan opened the third quarter with a basket and Pendleton made 1-2 on the free throw line to cut JU's lead in half at 29-26 but the Rams executed a 14-7 run over the next five minutes to return the lead to double digits at 43-33.  Lincoln followed with seven straight points starting with a Bailey three-ball and ending with a traditional three-point play from Pendleton, cutting the lead back to three at 43-40 with 1:30 left in the period.  A triple from Day and another basket from Pendleton closed out the scoring in the third period with the Rams ahead 46-42.
 
The Rams came out strong to open the fourth quarter, tacking on a 7-2 run to lead by nine at 53-44 before Lincoln scored six straight points to make it a one-possession game again at 53-50. Kaminski added a free throw and then a layup to push the lead back to six before Fitzgerald 's layup at the 1:24 mark closed the gap to 56-52 with 1:24 left.  Kaminski added another layup with just under a minute left and the Lions were forced to foul in an effort to conserve the clock.  The Rams made three of four from the line in the final 37 seconds while the Lions were unable to score as Jefferson finished with the nine-point win.
 
Numbers wise, both teams were practically even as each team made 23 field goals and the Rams having a slightly better shooting percentage (37.7%-34.3%).  The difference was on the foul line where the Rams doubled up the Lions 10-5 with neither team putting up stellar percentages (JU-52.5%, LU-45.5%) and also from long range as the Rams made five three-pointers to Lincoln's one.
 
The Lions held a slight edge on the boards, 45-44, points off turnovers (15-13), and points in the paint (32-28).  The Rams had one fewer turnover (13-14) and outscored the Lions 19-17 in the second chance points category.  Both teams had 12 assists.
 
Next up for the women's basketball team is a non league contest at University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown on November 21, 2017.  Tipoff is at 6:00 p.m.