Box Score DeeDee Irwin (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville Area) scored a career high 19 points as the Lincoln University women's basketball team rallied to defeat host Elizabeth City State University 57-49 at the R.L. Vaughn Center in Elizabeth City, North Carolina on Saturday.

The win improves the Lions record to 12-4 overall and 7-1 in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) games.  The Vikings fall to 7-9 overall and 1-4 in league play.  The Lions have now won seven straight and 11 of their last 12.  Their 7-1 start to conference play is the best in program history.

Irwin scored 11 of her 19 points in the second half as the Lions rallied from a seven point halftime deficit.  The freshman guard sank a career-high five three point field goals and finished the game shooting 50% (6-12).  Irwin also grabbed a career-high five rebounds.  McKenzie Spencer (Richmond, Va./Henrico) added nine points (3 3pt.FG).  Teira Pendleton (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore Polytech) and Amanda Okodugha (Norrkoping, Sweden /Hagagymnasiet (Young Harris)) led the team with seven rebounds apiece.  Shecquan Bailey (Salisbury, Md./Snow Hill (Baltimore City C.C.)) led the team with six assists.

Devona Still and Tantania Brown led the Vikings with 11 and 10 points respectively.  Chalise Greenwood led the team with nine rebounds.

A poor shooting first half (26.7%) put the Lions in a deep hole early, trailing by as many as 14 at the start of the second quarter.  Lincoln whittled the lead to seven by the break 32-25 and began their comeback in earnest in the third quarter.

The Lions opened the third quarter with an 11-2 flourish, taking their first lead of the game at the 4:19 mark on Brianna Logan (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley (Siena))'s three-point field goal.  Lincoln also got four points apiece from Shahra Madison (Chesapeake, Va./Norfolk Collegiate School (Chesapeake College)) and Ashley Paynes-Hightower (Peoria, Ill./Peoria (Harford C.C.)) over the course of the run.  The lead change was the first of three in the period as the Vikings took back the lead two  possessions later and Irwin's three-pointer with 2:11 left put Lincoln back up by one 39-38 and ended the scoring in the period.

Irwin scored five points during a 7-2 run to open the fourth quarter as they opened up a 46-40 lead just 1:45 into the period.  Greenwood followed with a three-pointer to cut the lead in half, 46-43.  Four LU free throws followed and the Lions were up by seven 50-43with 3:37 remaining.  The Vikings would come no closer than five the rest of the way as the Lions pushed the lead to eight on three occasions as the game came to a close.

Neither team shot exceptionally well over the course of the 40 minutes of action with the Lions making just 32.8% (19-58) of their shots and the Vikings 29% (20-69).  Lincoln held a big advantage from beyond the arc, making ten three-points (10-36, 27.8%) to ECSU's 2-for-20 (10%).   ECSU held a slight 49-45 rebounding advantage, including a 17-9 advantage on the offensive glass.

The women's basketball team returns to action on Wednesday, January 24, 2017 when they host nationally ranked Virginia Union University at Manuel Rivero Hall.  Tipoff is set for 5:30 pm.