Boxscore

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Senior center Keyona Bryant (Springdale, Md.) finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds, but poor shooting hurt Saint Augustine's College in a 64-62 CIAA women's basketball loss to Fayetteville State Saturday (Feb. 4) at Capel Arena.

The Lady Falcons (11-9, 6-4 CIAA, 1-3 Southern Division) shot 34.3 percent from the floor was 10-for-24 from the free throw line for 41.7 percent. They needed the extra points in a tight game that the Lady Falcons dominated at the start.

The Lady Falcons led 12-0 early, but the Lady Broncos (8-10, 2-7 CIAA, 1-3 Southern Division) countered with a run of their own to lead 23-15. The Lady Falcons helped the Lady Broncos' cause by going approximately six minutes without a point.

The Lady Falcons were ice cold in the first half, shooting 19.4 percent. Their defense kept them in the game as they forced 15 turnovers to trail only 27-21 at halftime.

The second half featured several lead changes, but the Lady Broncos went on a mini-run for a 59-52 lead with 1:44 left. The Lady Falcons battled back with sophomore center Umeka Benson (Charlotte, N.C.) leading the charge. Benson scored four points on a 10-4 run - capped by Bryant's follow shot – to close the deficit to 63-62.

With 5.1 seconds left, the Lady Falcons sent Je'Lena Robertson to the free throw line, where she made one of two attempts.  With time winding down, Benson forced a shot behind the three point arc which failed to touch the rim as the horn sounded.

Despite the missed desperation attempt, Benson provided a much-needed spark for the Lady Falcons after missing the last five games due to knee injury. She scored 14 points, including 12 in the second half, on 7-for-12 shooting and added eight rebounds.  Junior guard Jolisa Williams (Charles City, Va.) added 13 points for the Lady Falcons, who forced 32 turnovers which led to a 28-6 advantage in turnover points.

Akysia Resper led all scorers with 21 points for the Lady Broncos, who shot 52.4 percent in the second half. The Lady Broncos made 43.8 percent of their shots from the floor and 21 of 33 free throws overall.

The Lady Falcons are back on the road Monday. They tangle with Winston-Salem State in a CIAA Southern Division rematch in Winston-Salem, N.C., starting at 5:30 p.m.