Bowie, Md. - The Lincoln University women's basketball team dropped their final regular season game Saturday afternoon, losing at Bowie State University 60-56.
The loss drops the Lions record to 23-5 overall and 12-3 in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association games. Bowie improves to 22-4 and 12-3 in league games. Both teams also have identical 6-2 marks within the CIAA North division and split the season series. In addition both teams won their respective games by four points thus the #2 and #3 seed in the North division will be determined by a coin toss between the two teams. The Lions won the coin toss that would determine seeding and will be the #2 seed at the CIAA Tournament. Lincoln will play their first game on Thursday vs. an opponent to be determined.
The Lions put three players in double figures with DeAshia Young (Detroit, Mich./Detroit Public Safety Academy (Labette CC)) and Shantel Cheeks (Washington D.C./Rock Creek Christian Academy (Harcum College)) leading the way with 12 points apiece. Kwanza Murray (Summerville, S.C./Summerville (Lackawanna College)) chipped in 11. Young and Alisia Machado (Brooklyn, N.Y./Medgar Evars Prep (Grambling)) paced Lincoln on the glass with seven rebounds apiece. Young also had two assists and three steals.
The Bulldogs scored the first six points and the Lions followed with the next 11 to take an early 11-5 lead. Bowie then scored the next nine to lead 15-11 after one quarter.
Skydajah Patterson (Bronx, N.Y./) scored the lions firs five points as Lincoln retook the lead at the start of the second quarter. A three-ball from Murray later put Lincoln up by three 19-16 before BSU's Dynaisha Christian tied things up at 21-21. The Bulldogs closed out the quarter with an 8-2 run to lead 29-23 at the half.
The Lions battled back to tie the game twice in the third quarter before the Bulldogs forced three turnovers in the final 1:38 and scored off all three of them to take a 40-36 lead into the final period.
A 9-2 run by the Bulldogs to open the fourth quarter put the Bulldogs ahead by double digits 49-38. The BSU lead oscillated between seven and ten points and went as high as 12 with 1:15 left before the Lions started to comeback. Kenzie Spencer (Richmond, Va./Henrico) started the rally with a free throw and Bryanna Brown (New York, N.Y./Bishop Loughlin (Nyack)) followed with a three-point basket to close the gap to eight, 56-48. Cheeks later knocked down two three point baskets in the final 24 seconds to close the gap to four. Two free throws by BSU's Shawnkia McCollum pushed the lead to six but a final basket by Spencer made the final score 60-56.
Kyaja Williams led the Bulldogs with 17 points while McCallum added 15. Christian chipped in 11 points and a game high 14 rebounds.
The Bulldogs took advantage of 26 Lincoln turnovers, producing 28 of their 60 points off the LU miscues. BSU had the slightly better field goal percentage, making 35% of their shots to LU's 34%. Lincoln outrebounded Bowie State 45-42 and shot slightly better from the free throw line (62.5% to BSU's 46.7%).
The Lions return to action at the CIAA Tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Tournament begins Tuesday, February 25, 2020.
