RALEIGH, N.C. – Trailing by one at the half, the Shaw University women's basketball team scored the first ten points of the second half to take a nine-point lead, and never looked back as they downed division-leading Fayetteville State 78-67.  The game, played at C.C. Spaulding Gymnasium, was senior night where four seniors were recognized for their contributions to the program.

With tonight's outcome, the CIAA's Southern Division is in a deadlock with only one game left before tournament action.  Both teams now have an 11-4 conference mark and a 7-2 division record.  Overall, the Lady Bears improve to 17-8 while the Lady Broncos fall to 18-6.  Overall record is not part of the calculation for seeding of the CIAA Tournament.

Shaw won the battle with a hot shooting hand, hitting 55.4 percent of their shots, while the Lady Bear defense held the Lady Broncos to only 36.2 percent shooting.   Shaw also held a decided advantage on the boards, outrebounding FSU 43-34. 

Largely on fast break layups from senior guard Diamond Mitchell and dominating play inside by Verdine Warner, the Lady Bears held a 44-28 advantage on points in the paint.

The entire first half was close, with seven ties and with neither team managing more than a four-point lead in the period.   Fayetteville State held a 42-41 lead at the intermission.

Mitchell scored the first four points of the second half, and six of the first ten as the Lady Bears opened the period with a ten-point run.  When Kaula Jacks hit a jumper off a pass from Kamiya Burwell, she gave Shaw a 51-42 lead.

Fayetteville State responded, mounting a 9-2 run, but they could get no closer than two, and the Lady Bears scored eight straight, including four free throws from Burwell, taking a 61-51 lead with 11:21 left.

After FSU scored three points to trim the Shaw lead to seven, the Lady Bears ran off 11 straight points to build their lead to 18 at 73-55 with 5:47 left. 

With 3:59, a layup from Warner gave the Bears a 77-60 lead.  FSU would close out the game on a 7-1 scoring spurt, to make the final score 78-67.

Warner finished with 22 points and 18 rebounds to lead the Lady Bears.  Mitchell had 17 points, Ariel Hatcher 14 and Jacks 12.  Burwell finished the night with a season-high 12 assists as well as eight points.

Akysia Resper finished the game with 27 points and Amber Calvin had 15 for the Lady Broncos.  Deja Middleton had 13 rebounds and Resper six assists to pace the Lady Broncos.

Prior to the contest, the Lady Bears honored their four seniors:  Mitchell, Burwell, Hatcher and Nicole Dias.

Shaw closes out regular season play on Saturday when they travel to Johnson C. Smith for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff.