RALEIGH, NC -- Shaw made three free throws in the final 16 seconds to break a tie game and edge South Carolina Aiken 67-64 at Spaulding Gymnasium in a non-conference basketball game on Wednesday. The win was the second straight for the Lady Bears this season.
Brittney Seymour canned two free throws for a 66-64 lead. USC Aiken missed a layup and Rita James nailed a free throw with 2.7 seconds left after coming up with a key steal. The Pacers misfired on a three-pointer as time expired, giving the Lady Bears the win.
The Lady Bears (2-3) had three players score in double figures led by Makenzie Pollard, who had 19 points and eight rebounds. Seymour tacked on 13 points and Mariah Holder helped out with 11 points off the bench.
Led by Tanayja London's four offensive rebounds, Shaw did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 15 boards that resulted in 14 second chance points.
Shaw forced 25 USC Aiken turnovers while committing 15 themselves in Wednesday's game. The Bears turned those takeaways into 17 points on the other end of the floor. James' eight steals led the way for Shaw.
How It Happened
After falling behind 11-9, Shaw went on a 10-0 run with 5:40 left in the first quarter to take a 19-11 lead. The Lady Bears then lost some of that lead, but still entered the quarter break with a 21-18 advantage. Shaw relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down three shots to account for nine of its 21 points.
USC Aiken fought back to tie the game at 27-27 before Shaw went on a 10-0 run starting at the 6:06 mark in the second period, highlighted by a bucket from Seymour, to take a 37-27 lead. The Pacers (2-3 overall) cut into that lead, but the Lady Bears still enjoyed a 42-33 advantage heading into halftime.
Shaw continued to preserve its halftime lead before going on a 5-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Holder, to expand its lead further to 53-45 with 2:38 to go in the third. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Pacers had cut into that lead somewhat, but the Lady Bears still entered the fourth quarter with a 55-50 edge. Shaw knocked down two three-pointers in the quarter to score six of its 13 total points.
USC Aiken proceeded to take a 64-62 lead before Shaw went on a 5-0 run to seize a 67-64 lead with 2.7 seconds to go in the contest, a score which would hold for the rest of the game.
Game Notes
» The Bears forced 25 USC Aiken turnovers while committing only 15 on the other end.
» Rita James swiped eight steals for the Lady Bears in the game.
» Shaw had a 43-38 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Shaw defense forced 25 turnovers.
» Shaw cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 15 offensive boards in the game.
» Makenzie Pollard led the Lady Bears with a game-high 19 points and team high eight rebounds.
