Box Score Kwanza Murray (Summerville, S.C./Summerville (Lackawanna College)) dominated play in the fourth quarter and finished the game with 34 points as the Lincoln University women's basketball team held off a late rally by Johnson C. Smith University to defeat the Golden Bulls 74-63 Saturday afternoon at Brayboy Gymnasium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Lions improve to 6-1 overall and 1-0 in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association games.  The Golden Bulls fall to 4-2 overall and 0-1 in league play.  The win was the Lions first ever victory at Brayboy gym in eight tries dating back to the 2007-08 season.

Murray took over the fourth quarter scoring 17 of her 34 points in the final period, connecting on her first five shots and finishing the quarter making six of seven shots with three three-point baskets.  The senior guard also had five rebounds and six steals.  For the game Murray made 13 of 20 shots from the field (3-6 3pt.FG) and was a perfect 5-5 from the free throw line.

Kenzie Spencer (Richmond, Va./Henrico) came off the bench to score ten points, including a pair of three-point field goals.  Bryanna Brown (New York, N.Y./Bishop Loughlin (Nyack)) and Shantel Cheeks (Washington D.C./Rock Creek Christian Academy (Harcum College)) had seven points apiece while DeAshia Young (Detroit, Mich./Detroit Public Safety Academy (Labette CC)) added six and a game-high four assists.  Joy Morton (Lansdowne, Pa./Penn Wood (Harford C.C.)) and Alisia Machado (Brooklyn, N.Y./Medgar Evars Prep (Grambling)) were the defensive force on the glass with Morton grabbing 13 rebounds (11 defensive) and Machado nine (six defensive).  Machado also had a block.

Lincoln scored the first six points and the Lions built an 18-9 lead after the first quarter.  The Lions extended the lead to 16, 34-18 midway through the second quarter following a three-point basket from Cheeks before the Golden Bulls used a 10-3 run to close out the quarter and cut the Lions lead back to nine 37-28.

The Golden Bulls whittled away at the Lions lead in the third quarter. Lincoln's 11-point lead was cut to three with a 13-5 spurt by the Golden Bulls who could have cut it to two except for a JCSU lane violation on a free throw by Aaliyah Bell with 1:05 left in the quarter.  Brown  later added two free throws to give Lincoln a 50-45 lead heading into the final quarter.

Johnson C. Smith outscored Lincoln 7-2 to open the fourth quarter as Alexxus Sowell put back a missed shot and was fouled, tying the game at 52-52.  Murray broke the tie with two free throws at the 6:58 mark, the first of her 17 points fourth quarter points and started a string of 12 straight points to boost the Lions lead back to seven 64-57 with 4:18 left.  Following a JCSU three-ball Lincoln scored the next seven points to lead 71-60 with 1:46 left and finished the game with the same margin, 74-63.

Emani Clough and Aubrianna Bonner led the Golden Bulls with 11 points apiece while Maiya Green chipped in ten.  Clough and Sowell had eight rebounds apiece.

The Lions shot 40% from the field for the game (26-65) and 70% (14-20) from the free throw line.  Lincoln was also 8-of-26 from beyond the arc (30.8%).  LU had a slim 47-46 edge on the glass, but dominated the defensive boards 33-26.

The women's basketball team returns to action on Monday, November 25, 2019 when they play Winston-Salem State University at the Gaines Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.