RALEIGH, NC --The Shaw women's basketball team kept Mount Olive to just 17.4 percent from deep in a 4-for-23 shooting performance on the way to a 56-55 victory against the Trojans at home Wednesday.

The Lady Bears (1-0) had two players score in double figures, led by Zaniyyah Ross-Barnes, who had 16 points, two steals and two blocks. Maiya Bumbray added 10 points off the bench and Kiara Shepherd added seven points, eight assists, four steals and two blocks.

Shaw took advantage of fantastic ball movement in Wednesday's game, piling up 16 assists on 23 made field goals. Shepherd's eight assists were the most for the Lady Bears and Kaylee Milburn also contributed with three assists of her own.

Shaw forced 26 Mount Olive turnovers. The Lady Bears turned those takeaways into 21 points on the offensive end of the floor. Keibra Hopkins' five steals led the way for Shaw.

How It Happened

Shaw struggled out of the gate, falling behind 18-13 at the end of the first quarter.

Shaw then cut the Trojans lead to 24-20 before going on a 5-0 run to take a 25-24 lead. The Lady Bears kept that lead for the remainder of the period and enjoyed a 28-27 advantage heading into halftime. Shaw dominated in the paint, scoring 10 of its 15 points close to the basket.

Mount Olive then took a 37-34 lead following intermission before Shaw went on a 7-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Bumbray, to grab a 41-37 lead with 1:05 to go in the third, a score which remained until the end of the third quarter. Shaw played well near the basket, scoring eight of its 13 points in the paint.

The Lady Bears then held on for the victory in the fourth quarter coming up with a key stop with less than five seconds left on the clock.

Shaw took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 12 of its 15 points in the paint.

Game Notes

» The Lady Bears held the Trojans to only 34.4 percent shooting from the field.
» Shaw recorded 16 total assists in the game.
» Shaw had a great day defensively, holding Mount Olive to 17 percent from three point land on 23 attempts.
» The Shaw bench made an impact by scoring 25 points to its scoring output.
» The Shaw defense forced 26 turnovers.
» The Lady Bears were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, recording seven blocks as a team.
» Zaniyyah Ross-Barnes led the Lady Bears with a game-high 16 points.
» Shaw got a game-high 10 rebounds from Keibra Hopkins.

Up Next

Shaw heads to Ettrick, VA to participate in the CIAA Cross Division Challange hosted by Virginia State. The Lady Bears will face Lincoln (PA) on Saturday, November 16 at 5 PM followed by Virginia State on Sunday, November 17 at 3 PM.