LATE KNOCK-OUT BLOW LIFTS #20 USCA OVER DIVISION I FOE
LADY PACERS USE 24-1 RUN TO KEY WIN OVER WINSTON-SALEM STATE
AIKEN, S.C.-- Shaking off a sluggish start, 20th-ranked USC Aiken (5-1) used a 24-4 run over the final 9:20 to pull away to the 70-58 win over Winston-Salem State (0-6) in non-conference women’s basketball action on Monday night at the Convocation Center. It was the program’s second-straight victory over the Division I members of the MEAC. The Lady Pacers improve to 36-4 in non-conference home contests over the past nine seasons. (PHOTO BY: Ginny Southworth)
The Lady Rams looked nothing like the 31.0 percent shooting team they entered the game as, scoring the first 12 points of the contest and bolting to a 16-3 lead on Keoshia Worthy’s lay-up at the 15:30 mark. WSSU connected on their first seven shots from the field. Worthy finished with four points and four assists, but missed the second half after going down with an injury at the half-time buzzer.
Jordon Thomas finally knocked down USCA’s first field goal at 14:31 after opening 0-of-6. The 5-10 senior from Denver, Colo. finished with a season-best 14 points on 7-of-10 from the field to go with five boards.
Still trailing by double figures with 11:45 on the clock, Satu Leppanen’s bucket in the paint ignited an 11-1 run to pull USC Aiken within 21-20 on Morgan Johnson’s fastbreak lay-up with 6:08 remaining. Leppanen connected on 5-of-7 from the field for 10 points and five rebounds while Johnson snapped out of her two-game shooting slump to go 6-of-6 for a team-high 15 points. The 6-0 junior from Marietta, Ga. also chipped in six boards, four blocks, and three steals.
Corbin Bradford ended a six-minute scoring drought for Winston-Salem State with 5:30 left, but on the ensuing possession sophomore Cameron Crapps drilled a three to knot the game up at 23-23. Crapps was 3-of-5 from long range off the bench for a key nine points.
The Lady Rams, however, edged out the Lady Pacers at the break for a 35-30 spread.
After a back-and-forth opening nine minutes of the final frame, Rene Rector scored four-straight and Vontisha Woods converted the second of two free throws as Winston-Salem State built a 54-46 lead.
When Megan Starnes found Thomas in the paint for an easy up-and-in 43 seconds later, it started a game-deciding 24-1 run. Quintoya Mobley drilled a three-pointer with 21 seconds left in the game, but over the final 9:20, USCA outscored the Lady Rams 24-4. WSSU went 1-of-13 over the run from the field and turned the ball over seven times.
Woods and Bradford led Winston-Salem State with 15 points each while combining for 13 of the team’s 37 rebounds. Rector chipped in 12 points and seven assists.
After shooting 38.7 percent in the first half, USC Aiken warmed up to 17-of-29 in the final frame for 58.6 percent. WSSU was the opposite, cooling to 28.6 percent from an opening period of 55.6 percent. The Lady Pacers also forced 10 more turnovers than they committed resulting in a 15-2 spread in points off miscues.
Despite a tough shooting night for Meredith Legg, 1-of-12, she dished out a career-high eight assists, grabbed five boards, and committed just one turnover. Her only field goal, a three-pointer with 7:05 to play, gave USCA its first lead of the game 55-54.
USC Aiken will host Converse College on Friday, December 7 at 7:00 PM at the Convocation Center. Winston-Salem State returns home to the Gaines Center to host Elon University on December 13 at 7:00 PM.
Newspaper Box Score
Winston-Salem State vs USC Aiken
12/03/07 7:00 PM at Aiken, S.C. (Convocation Center)
USC AIKEN 70, WINSTON-SALEM STATE 58
WINSTON-SALEM STATE (0-6)
WOODS,Vontisha 7-12 1-2 15; BRADFORD,Corbin 6-12 1-2 15; RECTOR,Rene 4-7 2-2 12; MOBLEY,Quintoya 3-7 0-0 8; BYRD,Jalesa 1-4 1-2 4; WORTHY,Keoshia 2-5 0-0 4; CAMPBELL,Nora 0-2 0-0 0; KEE,Talneshia 0-2 0-0 0; AUSTIN,Montague 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 23-55 5-8 58.
USC AIKEN (5-1)
Johnson, Morgan 6-6 3-3 15; Thomas, Jordon 7-10 0-0 14; Leppanen, Satu 5-7 0-0 10; Williams, Avonte 3-8 2-4 9; Crapps, Cameron 3-5 0-0 9; Starnes, Megan 3-8 2-4 8; Legg, Meredith 1-12 0-0 3; Harris, Triahna 1-3 0-0 2; Disney, Megan 0-0 0-0 0; Meyer, Sarah 0-0 0-0 0; Broadwater, LaToshia 0-0 0-0 0; Norman, Marissa 0-0 0-0 0; Pinkney, Nakia 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 29-60 7-11 70.
Winston-Salem State... 35 23 - 58
USC Aiken..................... 30 40 - 70
3-point goals--Winston-Salem State 7-18 (BRADFORD,Corbin 2-3; RECTOR,Rene 2-3; MOBLEY,Quintoya 2-4; BYRD,Jalesa 1-2; KEE,Talneshia 0-2; AUSTIN,Montague 0-3; WORTHY,Keoshia 0-1), USC Aiken 5-22 (Crapps, Cameron 3-5; Williams, Avonte 1-3; Legg, Meredith 1-8; Starnes, Megan 0-3; Harris, Triahna 0-1; Pinkney, Nakia 0-1; Thomas, Jordon 0-1). Fouled out--Winston-Salem State-None, USC Aiken-None. Rebounds--Winston-Salem State 37 (WOODS,Vontisha 8), USC Aiken 31 (Johnson, Morgan 6). Assists--Winston-Salem State 15 (RECTOR,Rene 7), USC Aiken 25 (Legg, Meredith 8). Total fouls--Winston-Salem State 14, USC Aiken 10. Technical fouls--Winston-Salem State-None, USC Aiken-None. A-266
BOXSCORE