CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Shaw University's women's basketball team held off a late-charging Johnson C. Smith Saturday night, closing out their regular season with a 62-61 win at JCSU's Brayboy Gymnasium.

With the win, Shaw tied with Fayetteville State for the top spot in the CIAA's Southern Division with a 12-4 conference mark and an 8-2 division record.  With the head-to-head meetings being a split, the seeding in the Southern Division for the CIAA tournament was decided by a coin flip.  FSU won the coin toss, meaning that Shaw will open tournament play on Wednesday as the number two seed in the south.  Shaw finished their regular season 18-8 overall.

JCSU closes out its regular season with a 13-12 overall mark, 8-8 in the CIAA and 3-7 in the division.

The Lady Bears held a seven-point lead with 2:57 left in the contest, but JCSU closed out the game on a six-point run, trimming the final margin to only one.

The Lady Bears did not shoot well from the free throw line, but did hit 27 of their 40 shots -- enough to lift them past the Lady Golden Bulls despite JCSU shooting better from both the floor and three-point line.  Johnson C. Smith went 11 for 12 from the free throw line.

Shaw also held an advantage on the boards, pulling in 43 rebounds to only 31 for JCSU.

Verdine Warner added yet another double-double to her season total, scoring 24 points and 14 rebounds.  Kamiya Burwell was the only other Shaw played who scored in double digits.  She finished the night with 17 points.  She also led the Lady Bears with five assists.

Karnina Bunch led the Lady Golden Bulls with 24 points, while Ashley Porter added 14.  Bunch's seven rebounds and Deanna Downer's five assists paced JCSU.

Shaw now waits to see who it will meet in the second round of the CIAA tournament.  Full bracket details will be released on Sunday.