RALEIGH, NC --The Shaw women's basketball team got a 25-point performance from the bench on the way to a 65-54 victory against the Lincoln (PA) Lions at home Thursday.

The Lady Bears (6-7, 4-2) had three players score in double figures, led by D'Ayzha Atkinson, who had 17 points and six rebounds. Arianna Lopez tacked on 13 points and Ashara Spruill helped out with a double-double off of the bench with 11 points and 13 rebounds.

Led by Spruill's six offensive rebounds, Shaw did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 17 boards that resulted in 17 second chance points.

Shaw forced 18 Lincoln (PA) turnovers. The Lady Bears turned those takeaways into 23 points on the offensive end of the floor. Sokhna Toure's four steals led the way for Shaw.

How It Happened

After falling behind 8-3, Shaw went on a 14-0 run with 3:05 left in the first quarter, culminating in a three from Mikyah Finley, to take a 17-8 lead, a score that would hold for the rest of the period. Shaw did most of its first quarter damage in the paint, scoring 12 of its 17 points close to the basket.

The Lady Bears maintained their lead in the game's second frame and entered halftime with a 33-24 edge. Shaw forced four Lincoln (PA) turnovers in the period and turned them into four points.

Shaw continued to preserve its halftime lead before going on an 8-0 run, punctuated by a three from Atkinson, to expand its lead further to 46-37 with 3:52 to go in the third. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Lions had cut into that lead somewhat, but the Lady Bears still entered the fourth quarter with a 51-43 edge. Shaw knocked down four three-pointers in the quarter to score 12 of its 18 total points.

Shaw kept its lead intact before going on an 8-0 run to grow the lead to 61-50 with 2:01 to go in the contest. The Lady Bears held onto that lead for the rest of the game for the 65-54 win. Shaw took advantage of four Lincoln (PA) turnovers in the quarter, scoring six points off of those takeaways.

Game Notes

» Ashara Spruill notched a double-double for the Lady Bears with 11 points and 13 rebounds.
» The Lady Bears held the Lions to only 29.9 percent shooting from the field.
» The Lady Bears never trailed after taking a 17-8 first quarter lead.
» The Shaw bench made an impact by adding 25 points to its scoring output.
» Shaw had a 46-43 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Shaw defense forced 18 turnovers.
» Shaw cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 17 offensive boards in the game.
» Shaw got a game-high 13 rebounds from Ashara Spruill.

Up Next
Shaw returns to action Monday, January 12 as they host Bowie State. Tipoff is slated for 6 PM inside Spaulding Gymnasium.