WINSTON -SALEM,NC --D'Ayzha Akinson collected 11 rebounds and Kaylee Milburn added 11 more, as the Shaw women's basketball team took down the Winston-Salem State Rams 68-58 on the road Friday.

The Lady Bears (10-17, 7-10) had four players score in double figures, led by Akinson, who put together a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Mikyah Finley tacked on 11 points and three steals and Keibra Hopkins chipped in as well with 11 points, seven rebounds and two blocks from the bench.

Shaw out-rebounded Winston-Salem 44-29 in Friday's game, paced by Akinson's 11 boards. The Lady Bears also grabbed 21 offensive rebounds and scored 16 second chance points.

Shaw's defense held Winston-Salem State to only 38.2 percent shooting from the field, including 25 percent from beyond the arc. The Rams did not have much luck cleaning up their misses on the offensive glass either, as they finished with nine offensive rebounds and managed eight second chance points.

How It Happened

After jumping out to a 7-5 advantage, Shaw went on a 6-0 run with 7:04 left in the first quarter, culminating in a three from Skylar Adams, to increase its lead to 13-5. The Lady Bears then lost some of that lead, but still entered the quarter break with a 17-14 advantage. Shaw relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down three shots to account for nine of its 17 points.

Shaw kept its first quarter lead intact before going on a 7-0 run starting at the 7:00 mark in the second period, highlighted by a bucket from Mahogany Collins, to increase its lead to 26-18. The Rams cut into that lead, but the Lady Bears still enjoyed a 31-28 advantage heading into halftime. Shaw scored four of its 14 total points in the period on second chance opportunities created by pulling down six offensive rebounds.

Shaw continued to preserve its halftime lead before going on a 9-0 run, punctuated by a three from Akinson, to expand its lead further to 48-37 with one second to go in the third, a score which remained until the end of the third quarter. Shaw took advantage of five Winston-Salem turnovers in the quarter, scoring six points off of takeaways.

Shaw kept its lead intact before going on a 6-0 run to grow the lead to 68-58 with 14 seconds to go in the contest, a score which would hold for the rest of the game. Shaw got a boost from its bench in the period, with non-starters scoring 14 of its 20 total points.

Game Notes

» D'Ayzha Akinson notched a double-double for the Lady Bears with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
» The Lady Bears held the Rams to only 38.2 percent shooting from the field.
» The Lady Bears never trailed after taking a 17-14 first quarter lead.
» Shaw had a 44-29 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Shaw defense forced 20 turnovers.
» Shaw cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 21 offensive boards in the game.
» D'Ayzha Akinson led the Lady Bears with 13 points.
» D'Ayzha Akinson and Kaylee Milburn led Shaw with a game-high 11 rebounds each.

Up Next

Shaw will now await the pairings for the 2025 CIAA Tournament tomorrow after games are completed Saturday afternoon.