Murfreesboro, N.C. - Kenzie Spencer (Richmond, Va./Henrico) led four players in double figures with a career-high 21 points as the Lincoln University women's basketball team got back on the winning track with a 77-51 win over Chowan Wednesday afternoon.
 
The Lions improve to 12-10 overall and 6-5 in central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) games.  The Lions are also 3-1 in CIAA North Division contests.   The Hawks fall to 11-9 overall and 7-4 in league play (1-3 in north division games).
 
Spencer led all scorers with 21 points (7-13 FG, 6-7 FT). DeeDee Irwin (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville Area) added 13 points and a career-high seven rebounds.  DeAshia young and Kwanza Murray (Summerville, S.C./Summerville (Lackawanna College)) added 12 and 11 points respectively. Murray and Spencer also tied Irwin for the team lead with seven rebounds apiece.  Taylor King (Lorton, Va./Hayfield Secondary School) had a career-high seven points off the bench
 
Danielle Weldon led the Hawks with 19 points and 12 rebounds.  Olivia Gaither added ten points.
 
The Lions led this one wire-to-wire, jumping out to a 15-2 lead in the first six minutes with Spencer providing six points with a three-pointer and a traditional three point play.  Irwin also had a three-ball in the opening salvo along with baskets from Young, Murray and Alisia Machado (Brooklyn, N.Y./Medgar Evars Prep (Grambling)).  Chowan fired off a 8-3 run to cut the Lions lead to eight 18-10 by the end of the quarter.
 
A Hawk basket to open the quarter cut the lead to six before Lincoln ran off seven straight points to push the lead to double digits 25-12. Spencer had five of the seven with King scoring the other two points.  The Hawks closed within ten twice more in the period before the Lions closed out the half with a 10-0 run fueled by three-balls from King and Irwin to lead 37-17 at the break.
 
Lincoln pushed the lead to as many as 24 in the third quarter before the Hawks went on an 18-9 spurt spanning the final three minutes of the third quarter and the first 3:21 of the second to cut the lead to 15, 59-44.
 
Machado followed with a layup+one and Irwin sank her third three pointer of the game to quickly push the lead back to 21 65-44 with 4:25 left.  The Lions would up the lead to as many as 28 in the waning seconds a basket by the Hawks rounded out the scoring.
 
The Lions travel to Virginia State on Saturday for a 2:00 p.m. tipoff.