BRISTOL, Tenn. – In the team's first action of the 2023-24 season, the Converse University women's basketball team (0-2, 0-0 Conference Carolinas) faced off against two South Atlantic Conference foes in the Conference Crossover hosted by King University. The Valkyries fell to Lincoln Memorial (1-0, 0-0 SAC) 63-60 on Friday evening and lost to Limestone (2-0, 0-0 SAC) 72-55 on Saturday afternoon.
Redshirt senior center Sydney Wilson led the team in scoring Friday and posted the second-highest total on Saturday. She netted 16 points against the Railsplitters and 12 against the Saints. She also recorded eight rebounds Friday and seven on Saturday, the highest total for a Valkyrie in both games. Junior guard Elisa Solé Sanchez led the Valkyries in scoring against Limestone with 14 points.
Game One: Lincoln Memorial 63, Converse 60
The Valkyries opened the game, and by extension the season, strong with a nine-point lead over the first five minutes of the first quarter. The lead grew to as many as 12 points with 3:56 remaining in the first quarter before Lincoln Memorial began a comeback. Still, the Valkyries held off the Railsplitters early advances and took a 10-point, 24-14, lead into the second quarter.
The Railsplitters began to outpace the Valkyries in the second quarter, and drew the game even at 30 points each with 3:55 to play in the first half. Now finding themselves down, junior guard Zariyah Washinton cut the lead to four points with a jump shot with four second remaining.
The Valkyries' defense came out strong in the second half, holding the Railsplitters to just 4 points in the third quarter. Netting 11 points of their own, Converse entered the fourth quarter up three points, 45-42.
Both teams' offenses came out on fire in the final quarter, and Lincoln Memorial managed to draw the game even with 1:16 to play. Over the final minute-and-change, the Railsplitters ended on a 6-3 and took the game 63-60.
Game Two: Limestone 72, Converse 55
Converse and Limestone came out even in the first quarter, with the Valkyries holding a slight advantage throughout the majority of the first ten minutes. The Valkyries lead grew to as many as six points when Wilson sank a jump shot with 2:38 remaining in the opening quarter.
Much like the first game of the season, the Valkyries' opponent outpaced them in the second quarter to take the lead. The Saints took the lead 12 seconds into the second quarter and did not relinquish it. Despite letting the lead grow to nine points, 27-18, with just over six minutes to play in the opening half, Converse showed their resiliency and cut that lead to two points, 29-27, with 2:42 to play in the second frame. The teams proceeded to go back and forth and the Saints took a five-point lead, 35-30, into the locker room.
The Valkyries allowed just one more point from the Saints in the third quarter compared to the second quarter, 23 vs 22, but managed the same total, 14 points, themselves and entered the final 10 minutes down 13 points, 57-44.
Despite holding the Saints to their second-lowest quarterly total, 15 points, in the fourth quarter, Converse managed just 11 points of their own and fell 72-55.
The Valkyries open their home slate Tuesday, Nov. 14 as they host Benedict College at the Weisiger Center starting at 5:30 p.m.
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