RALEIGH, NC --Zaniyyah Ross-Barnes collected 15 rebounds and D'Ayzha Akinson added 13 more, and the Shaw women's basketball team beat the Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls 73-50 at home Tuesday.

Ross-Barnes and Akinson's fantastic rebounding performances led the Lady Bears (7-13, 4-6) in the contest. Ross-Barnes tacked on 10 points and Akinson added eight points. Kaylee Milburn also helped out with 20 points, seven rebounds and two steals.

Shaw took advantage of excellent ball movement in Tuesday's game, piling up 15 assists on 23 made field goals. Akinson's two assists led the distribution list for the Bears.

Shaw forced 22 Johnson C. Smith turnovers. The Lady Bears turned those takeaways into 20 points on the other end of the floor. Maiya Bumbray led the way individually with two steals.

How It Happened

After jumping out to a 4-2 advantage, Shaw went on an 8-0 run with 5:21 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Ross-Barnes, to increase its lead to 12-2. The Lady Bears then lost some of that lead, but still entered the quarter break with a 17-9 advantage. Shaw got a great contribution from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for eight of its 17 total points.

Shaw kept its first quarter lead intact before going on a 6-0 run starting at the 1:21 mark in the second period, highlighted by a bucket from Mikyah Finley, to increase its lead to 35-23, a score that would hold until halftime. Shaw dominated in the paint, scoring 14 of its 18 points close to the basket.

Following intermission, Shaw continued to expand its advantage, pushing it to 38-25 before going on a 5-0 run, punctuated by a three from Elisha Quinn, to expand its lead further to 43-25 with 6:54 to go in the third. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Golden Bulls had cut into that lead somewhat, but the Lady Bears still entered the fourth quarter with a 54-41 edge. Shaw knocked down four three-pointers in the quarter to score 12 of its 19 total points.

Shaw kept its lead intact before going on an 11-0 run to grow the lead to 71-50 with 39 seconds to go in the contest. The Lady Bears kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 73-50 win. Shaw took advantage of six Johnson C. Smith turnovers in the quarter, scoring nine points off of those takeaways.

Game Notes

» Zaniyyah Ross-Barnes notched a double-double for the Bears with 10 points and 15 rebounds.
» The Lady Bears held the Golden Bulls to only 28.3 percent shooting from the field.
» The Bears never trailed after taking a 17-9 first quarter lead.
» Shaw tallied 15 total assists in the game.
» The Shaw bench made an impact by scoring 24 points to its scoring output.
» Shaw had a 57-32 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Shaw defense forced 22 turnovers.
» The Lady Bears were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, tallying six blocks as a team.
» Shaw cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 27 offensive boards in the game.
» Kaylee Milburn led the Lady Bears with 20 points.

Up Next

Shaw returns to Spaulding Gymnasium Saturday, February 1 as they host Claflin University. Tipoff is slated for 2 PM.