(Raleigh, NC) - Kyria Buford had 26 points, and the Lady Bears shot an impressive 50 percent from beyond the arc on their way to an 81-71 win over Livingstone.  The win comes ten days after Livingstone downed Shaw by 11.

Shaw (13-10, 6-6 CIAA), struggled to get on track offensively early in the first, but once they built a double-digit lead, they were never truly challenged.  Livingstone (12-6, 7-4 CIAA) cut it to six once in the second half, but the Lady Bears never let them get closer.  The Lady Bears stretched the lead to ten when Livingstone began fouling to stop the clock.

Free throw shots did not come easily to the Lady Bears, however, as they hit only 19 of 41 (46.3 percent) for the game.  In contrast, the Lady Blue Bears shot 26, making 16 (61.5 percent).

Both teams struggled with scoring early in the first half.  The Lady Bears did not hit their first field goal until over six minutes had passed.  Livingstone, on the other hand, built the early 10-2 lead, but did not score a field goal for six minutes after that.

In that time, Shaw went from an eight-point deficit to - with Kyria Buford's layup with 10:12 left in the first - a five-point lead. 

With two three pointers and a layup, Livingstone retook the lead with 9:06 left in the game.  Over the next five minutes, the Lady Bears outscored Livingstone 16-5 to take a ten-point lead when Niesha Searles drained a jumper from the left side of the key.  By the half, the Lady Bears would extend the lead to 14 points, 45-31.

After Aslea Williams' free throw gave Shaw a 15-point lead to open the second, Livingstone scored five unanswered points to cut the lead to ten, 46-36, with 18:38 left in the game.

With a pair of Montiya Harrison free throws, the Lady Blue Bears cut the lead to seven with 16:12 left in the game.  The Bears scored four unanswered to stretch the lead back to 11. 

With 11:14 left, Khalia Boston hit a pair of free throws to cut the Shaw lead to only six.  Over the next two minutes, the Bears would outscore Livingstone 13-3 and build a 16-point lead on Jackie Sanders' layup with 9:04 left. 

It was then the Lady Blue Bears that went on a scoring run - this one of seven points - to again cut the lead to seven with 5:20 left in the game.  The two teams traded buckets - and then free throw shots - until the clock ran out with Shaw winning 81-71.

Buford's 26 led all scorers.  Sanders had 12 and Williams ten for the Lady Bears.  Sanders added ten rebounds to her statistical count - giving her a double-double on the evening.  Brittney Spencer had eight assists to lead both teams.

Kelcyn Manurs had 18 points to lead Livingstone.  Brittany Wright had 17 and Rashida Elbourne 13 to round out the double-digit scorers for the Lady Blue Bears.  Wright added 12 rebounds for a double-double. 

On Saturday, the Lady Bears host Johnson C. Smith in a game that will tip at 6:00 p.m. at C. C. Spaulding Gymnasium on the Shaw c ampus.

Photos:  Kyria Buford (right) had 26 points to lead the Lady Bears.  Jackie Sanders (left) had 12.