RICHMOND, VA -- The Shaw women's basketball team got a 21-point performance from the bench, but fell 67-57 to the Virginia Union Panthers on the road Saturday.

The Lady Bears (11-11, 4-6 CIAA) had three players score in double figures, led by Makenzie Pollard, who had 18 points. Tanashia Hairston added 13 points off the bench and Tanayja London helped out with 10 points and two blocks.

The Shaw offense was very productive from beyond the arc, making eight threes on 18 attempts. Pollard was the most prolific shooter for the Lady Bears, draining four treys in the contest.

The Shaw defense was effective at taking away the basketball in Saturday's game, forcing 20 Virginia Union turnovers while committing 15. Those takeaways turned into 16 points on the other end of the floor. Rita James led the way individually for the Lady Bears with three steals.

How It Happened

After falling behind 4-2, Shaw went on an 8-0 run with 6:46 left in the first quarter, culminating in a three from London, to take a 10-4 lead. The Lady Bears then lost some of that lead, but still entered the quarter break with a 15-12 advantage. Shaw relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down two shots to account for six of its 15 points.

Virginia Union rallied to take a 16-15 lead before Shaw went on a 9-0 run starting at the 7:44 mark in the second period to take a 24-16 lead. The Panthers then came roaring back to take a 30-26 lead heading into halftime.

Shaw's deficit continued to grow after halftime, and the Lady Bears faced a 48-40 disadvantage heading to the fourth quarter.

Virginia Union kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 64-46 advantage before Shaw went on an 8-0 run, finished off by Hairston's jumper, to shrink the deficit to 64-54 with 2:41 to go in the contest. The Lady Bears were unable to cut further into the deficit by the end of the game, losing 67-57. 
 

Game Notes

» The Lady Bears shot well from three point range, knocking down eight of 18 long range attempts.
» The Shaw bench made an impact by adding 21 points to its scoring output.
» The Shaw defense forced 20 turnovers.
» Makenzie Pollard led the Bears with a game-high 18 points.

Up Next
The Lady Bears visit crosstown rival Saint Augustine's on Wednesday, Feb. 1, in Raleigh, N.C. Tipoff is 5:30 p.m.