CHARLOTTE, N.C. – LeKiesha White (Jr./Richmond, Va.) scored 17 points and Eliezer Iceson (Sr./Harlem, N.Y) scored five points in the final 18.1 seconds as Saint Augustine's College rallied in the closing minutes to pull out a 51-48 CIAA women's basketball victory over Johnson C. Smith University Monday (Feb. 8) at Brayboy Gymnasium.
The victory improved the Lady Falcons' record to 13-9 overall, 9-6 CIAA and 3-2 in the Western Division. The Lady Golden Bulls fell to 16-7, 9-7 in the CIAA and 3-3 in the Western Division.
White added seven rebounds and three steals. The rebound total was a team-high and the steal total tied a team high.
White made two key plays down the stretch for the Lady Falcons. She hit a big three-pointer at the top of the key to pull the Lady Falcons within 47-46 with 38 seconds left.
After Tyra Breaux made one of two free throws for a two-point JCSU lead, Iceson converted a three-point play after a steal for a 49-48 Lady Falcon lead with 18.1 seconds left.
On JCSU's next possession, White blocked Sheria Hatcher's shot and the Lady Falcons grabbed the loose ball. Iceson canned two free throws for a 51-48 Lady Falcon lead with 8.1 seconds left which turned out to be the final score. Terica Jones' three-pointer fell way short as the Lady Falcons pulled off a big win on the road.
Allison Sikes (Jr./Richmond, Va.) added 12 points, five rebounds, and two steals for the Lady Falcons, who shot 42 percent and had 12 steals. Iceson added seven points, five rebounds and three steals.
Breaux was the only JCSU double-figure scorer with 12 points. Demetria Bell added eight points and a game-high nine rebounds for the Lady Golden Bulls, who shot 34 percent.
Leading 23-21 at halftime, the Lady Golden Bulls scored the first four points of the second half for a 27-21 lead. Sikes of the Lady Falcons came back to tie the game at 29-29 on a steal and layup.
A layup by Rudeesha Reese (Sr./Teaneck, N.J.) off an assist from White, and Bryant's free throw gave the Lady Falcons their biggest lead at 34-31, but the Lady Golden Bulls reclaimed the lead at 37-34. In a game of spurts, the Lady Falcons retook the lead at 38-37 on White's jumper and Iceson's follow shot with over five minutes left. But the Lady Golden Bulls appeared in position to win when Shakeena Cunningham buried a jumper for a 47-41 lead late in the game.
In the opening minutes, the Lady Golden Bulls jumped out to a 10-4 lead. The Lady Falcons regrouped and went on a 10-2 run capped by Bryant's layup for a 14-12 lead. The game was nip and tuck for a while as the lead changed three times.
The Lady Golden Bulls then got a three-pointer form Terran Quattlebaum for a 21-17 lead with over four minutes left before halftime. The lead held up the rest of the half as the Lady Falcons went into halftime trailing 23-21.
The Lady Falcons stayed close in the first half behind seven points and four rebounds from White, six points from Sikes and five points from Keyona Bryant (So./Springdale, Md.) They shot 38 percent while holding the Lady Golden Bulls to 35 percent shooting in the half.
The Lady Golden Bulls held onto their slim halftime lead by outscoring the Lady Falcons 12-2 in the paint. Bell led the Lady Golden Bulls with six points and five rebounds. Breaux also scored six points for the Lady Golden Bulls.
The Lady Falcons will conclude the last of three consecutive road games Thursday (Feb. 11) when they visit Livingstone College in Salisbury, N.C. Game time is 5:30 p.m.
