BOX SCORE
(LAWRENCEVILLE, Va.) Bowie State University senior
Bianca Lee (Temple Hills, MD, Archbishop Carroll) posted a team-high 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Lady Bulldogs to a 67-65 CIAA Eastern Division victory over Saint Paul’s College. Lee also scored her 1,000 career point early in the second half. Bowie State outscored Saint Paul’s 36 to 18 in the paint.
With the victory, Bowie State improves to 12-4 overall, 12-2 in the CIAA and 2-0 in the division. The Saint Paul’s loss drops the Lady Tigers to 6-12 overall, 5-9 in the CIAA and 1-1 in the division.
"I thought we played well in spurts and for some reason we're coming out slow in the first half, but we found a way to win", said second-year head coach
Donna Polk following Bowie State's eighth straight victory.
For Saint Paul’s, senior Tatiana Ellis (Harlem, N.Y.) poured in a game-high 29 points on 11-of-18 shooting to pace the Lady Tigers. Freshman Tiffany Merritt (Brunswick, Ga.) was the only other Saint Paul’s player to score in double figures, adding 10 points and two blocks.
Both teams shot fairly well from the field in the first half. The Saint Paul’s Lady Tigers made 13-of-27 field goals and Bowie State’s Lady Bulldogs made 16-of-35 in the first period. Free throws kept Saint Paul’s in the game, converting 8-of-9 from the charity stripe. Saint Paul’s led twice in the game with the last coming at the 9:39 mark and the Tigers holding a 22-21 advantage.
The second half of play saw three ties before Bowie State went on a 13-3 run to open up a 59-47 cushion. The visiting lady Bulldogs extended that lead to 66-50 lead with 5:15 remaining in the game.
Saint Paul’s hung tough and battled back to trim the deficit to just two (67-65) with 1:03 left to play. Ellis was directly responsible for the rally, scoring 11 points during the Lady Tigers late game run.
Junior
Teaunsha Robinson (Baltimore, MD, Baltimore Polytechnic) and sophomore
Juliette Turner (Silver Spring, MD, John F. Kennedy) scored 12 points apiece for Bowie State.
Saint Paul’s will host CIAA division foe Elizabeth City State – Thursday (February 4) at Brunswick High School. Bowie State makes a return trip back down Interstate 95 for a key division matchup against Virginia State University. Game time in VSU’s Daniel Gymnasium is 5:30 p.m.