CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Lincoln University's women's basketball team fired the first salvo in their CIAA Tournament semi-final contest against top seed and defending CIAA Tournament champion Virginia Union, jumping out to a double digit lead. However as the game wore on the Panthers wore down the Lions and rallied to earn an 82-75 win to earn their second consecutive appearance in the CIAA Tournament championship game
Lincoln, the only CIAA women's program to reach the conference tournament semi-finals in each of the last three years, finished the season at 17-14.
Virginia Union (26-2) will play the winner of the No. 1 South seed, Fayetteville State and the No. 6 North seed, Elizabeth City State Saturday, Mar. 2 at 1 p.m. at the Spectrum Center.
The Lions were paced by
Kwanza Murray (Summerville, S.C./Summerville (Lackawanna College)) with 25 points, six rebounds and three assists while
Alisia Machado (Brooklyn, N.Y./Medgar Evars Prep (Grambling)) added 12 points, five rebounds and two blocks. Both
DeAshia Young (Detroit, Mich./Detroit Public Safety Academy (Labette CC)) and
DeeDee Irwin (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) finished with 10 points apiece. Additionally, Young grabbed a team-high ten rebounds, nine assists and two steals while Irwin accounted for four rebounds and three assists. For Young, it marked a milestone as she reached her 1,000th point of her collegiate career with her first basket. The game was also her sixth double-double of the season.
Shareka McNeill was named the Food Lion's MVP after turning in a 38-point performance on 12-of-23 shooting from the field and 10-of-11 shots from the charity stripe. Nicole Floyd would chip in 17 points and seven rebounds to round out the double figure scoring for the Panthers who registered 39.1-percent (27-69) in field goals, and 23-of-25 (92-percent) from the free throw line.,
The Lions had the momentum early on after taking a 14-2 lead that included back-to-back 3-pointers from Spencer. VUU got just its second basket of the quarter on a tip-in from Jasmine Carter at the 3:04 mark. Despite an 11-6 run from the Panthers in the last three minutes of the frame, LUPA hit a layup at the buzzer to lead 25-13 over Virginia Union after one quarter.
VUU cut the Lions lead to single digits after a 9-4 run in the second quarter but a 3-pointer from Murray put LUPA ahead 32-22 with 5:58 left in the opening half.
The Panthers then roared back from a double figure deficit to tie the game at 36-36 capped off by an old fashion 3-point play from Floyd with 1:29 left. Both teams would go into the locker with the score tied at 38-38 at halftime.
A jumper from Floyd gave VUU a two-point cushion to start the second half but on the ensuing possession, Murray responded with a 3-pointer to provide a one-point edge in favor of the Lions in the first minute of the third quarter. The Panthers then orchestrated a 12-5 run to take a 54-43 lead with 5:38 left before taking a 10-point lead. However, LU did not fold as they chopped the double digit lead to five (61-56) heading into the fourth quarter.
Facing a 71-58 deficit with 4:48 remaining in regulation, the Lions clawed its way back into the contest on a 7-2 spurt but the Panthers would not relent on the lead and eventually produced an 11-point lead topped by two free throws from McNeil in the game's final 22 seconds in route to the victory.
Lincoln shot 42.6-percent (26-61) from the floor, 11-of-28 (39.3-percent) from the 3-point line and 70.6-percent (12-17) from the charity stripe for the game.
