RALEIGH, NC --The Shaw women's basketball team held Johnson C. Smith to just 16.7 percent from beyond the arc in a 2-for-12 shooting performance on the way to a 72-66 victory over the Golden Bulls at home Wednesday.
The Lady Bears (8-13, 6-8) had three players score in double figures, led by Leasia Matthews, who had 19 points and four steals. D'Ayzha Atkinson added 15 points, eight rebounds and three steals and Arianna Lopez chipped in as well with 11 points and two steals off the bench.
Atkinson pulled down four offensive rebounds to lead an offense that racked up second chance opportunities for Shaw, grabbing 14 boards and turning them into 11 second chance points.
Shaw did a great job disrupting Johnson C. Smith shots in the contest, coming away with nine blocks. Mahogany Collins led the way individually for the Lady Bears with six rejections.
How It Happened
After falling behind 10-9, Shaw went on a 5-0 run with 1:45 left in the first quarter, culminating in a three from Mikyah Finley, to take a 14-10 lead, a score that would hold for the rest of the period. Shaw relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down two shots to account for six of its 14 points.
Shaw built that first quarter lead to 18-12 before going on a 6-0 run starting at the 9:05 mark in the second period, highlighted by a three from Finley, to increase its lead to 24-12. The Lady Bears proceeded to tack on four points to that lead and enjoyed a 38-22 advantage heading into halftime. Shaw forced five Johnson C. Smith turnovers in the period and turned them into eight points.
After intermission, Shaw held on to its advantage and owned a 51-36 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Shaw played well near the basket, scoring 10 of its 13 points in the paint.
The Lady Bears then held on for the victory in the fourth quarter. Shaw got a boost from its bench in the period, with non-starters scoring nine of its 21 total points.
Game Notes
» The Lady Bears held the Golden Bulls to only 39 percent shooting from the field.
» The Lady Bears never trailed after taking a 14-10 first quarter lead.
» Shaw had a stellar day defensively, holding Johnson C. Smith to 17 percent from beyond the arc on 12 attempts.
» The Shaw bench came alive by scoring 23 points to its scoring output.
» The Shaw defense forced 24 turnovers.
» The Lady Bears were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, tallying nine blocks as a team.
» Shaw cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 14 offensive boards in the game.
» Leasia Matthews led the Lady Bears with 19 points.
» Shaw got a team-high eight rebounds from D'Ayzha Atkinson.
Up Next
Shaw heads to Winston-Salem, NC for a clash with the #20 ranked WSSU Rams Saturday afternoon at 2 PM.
