Raleigh, NC -  The Shaw University Lady Bears used a late run in the first quarter that carried over into the second putting Shaw ahead for the remainder of the contest allowing the Lady Bears to come away with a crucial 74-63 CIAA victory over the host Livingstone College Blue Bears Monday evening in Salisbury, NC. 

Shaw (5-8 overall, 2-2 CIAA) finished the contest shooting 51% from the floor including 72% from the charity stripe connecting on 24 of 33 attempts. Livingstone (3-8, 2-1 CIAA) suffered their first conference defeat of the season after being held to just 39% shooting for the game. 

The Blue Bears jumped out to an early 13-2 lead before a steal and layup from Nyrobi Pillers ended the Livingstone run. Shaw closed out the opening quarter on a 12-2 run as another basket from Pillers inched Shaw closer with the scoreboard reading 15-14. The Lady Bears would continue their hot streak outscoring the Blue Bears 22-14 during the second quarter to go ahead 36-29 at the break. 

Livingstone cut the Shaw lead to just two late in the third at 46-44 with 3:20 left in the third before the Lady Bears responded to close out the quarter ahead 52-46. The Shaw lead grew to 10 before another Livingstone run trimmed their deficit to four with 5:33 left in the game. Makenzie Pollard pushed the Shaw lead back to eight with five minutes left in regulation leading to a close-out stretch with Pollard scoring again making the score 66-60 in favor of Shaw with just over a minute left. The Lady Bears iced the game at the free-throw line in the final minute making their final four attempts leading to the 11 point CIAA win. 

Pollard led all scorers with 20 points. Pillers followed with a double-double adding 13 points and 10 rebounds with Ashley Rojas finishing with 10 points. 

The Lady Bears return to action Saturday, January 15 as Shaw host Elizabeth City State University in a CIAA divisional matchup. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. inside C.C. Spaulding Gymnasium.