RALEIGH, NC --The Shaw women's basketball team fought back from a 47-42 deficit after the third quarter to knock off the Livingstone Blue Bears 63-58 at historic C.C. Spaulding Gymnasium Wednesday.
The Lady Bears (9-8, 2-3 CIAA) had three players score in double figures, led by Makenzie Pollard, who had 18 points and six rebounds. Randria Anderson added 15 points and five steals and Brittiney Seymour helped out with a double-double from the bench with 12 points and 18 rebounds.
Seymour pulled down four offensive rebounds to lead an offense that racked up second chance opportunities for Shaw, grabbing 15 boards and turning them into 11 second chance points.
Shaw's defense held Livingstone to only 31.2 percent shooting from the field, including 23.8 percent from beyond the arc.
How It Happened
After falling behind 3-0, Shaw went on a 5-0 run with 8:41 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Tanayja London, to take a 5-3 lead. The Lady Bears then surrendered that lead and entered the second quarter down 13-11.
Livingstone kept adding to that lead, building a 23-20 advantage before Shaw went on a 5-0 run, highlighted by a bucket from Seymour, to take a 25-23 lead. The Blue Bears then came roaring back to take a 33-27 lead heading into halftime.
Shaw came out of halftime on fire, going on a 5-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Pollard, to trim its deficit to 33-32 with 8:37 to go in the third. Livingstone countered and stretched its lead to 47-42 heading into the fourth. Shaw played well near the basket, scoring 10 of its 15 points in the paint.
Shaw kept the Blue Bears from increasing their lead before going on a 9-0 run to seize a 57-53 lead with 4:49 to go in the contest. The Lady Bears kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 63-58 win. Shaw took advantage of six Livingstone turnovers in the quarter, scoring 12 points off of those takeaways.
Game Notes
» Brittiney Seymour notched a double-double for the Lady Bears with 12 points and 18 rebounds.
» The Lady Bears outscored the Blue Bears 21-11 in the fourth quarter.
» The Lady Bears held the Blue Bears to only 31.2 percent shooting from the field.
» Shaw had a 52-31 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Shaw defense forced 15 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 18 points.
Quotes
"When I look up, my mindset is it has to be mine. All the coaches are on me about rebounding, rebounding, rebounding. If I don't do anything else, rebound. Towards the end, defense was looking a little rough for me so I had to get the rebound. If it doesn't go in, the rebound is mine. That's what was in my head, keeping them to one shot so we can win this game." - Shaw forward Brittiney Seymour on grabbing 18 rebounds.
"I'm not who I am without my teammates. They keep pushing me, believing in me. We all believe in each other. After the charge, I had to get it back." - Shaw guard Makenzie Pollard on her fastbreak layup with under a minute left which put the Lady Bears up for good 59-58 in the fourth quarter. On the previous possession, her layup was wiped out on a charging call.
Up Next
Shaw hosts Elizabeth City State on Saturday, Jan. 14, in the season's first CIAA Northern Division game for the Lady Bears. Tipoff is 2 p.m. at historic C.C. Spaulding Gymnasium. This is the seventh of an eight-game homestand for Shaw.
