Box Score SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Despite a late push and a 10-point scoring advantage in the fourth quarter from the Converse University women's basketball team (8-11, 4-6 Conference Carolinas), the Valkyries were unable to get past the Young Harris Mountain Lions () and fell 53-51 on Saturday afternoon at the Weisiger Center.
Graduate guard Jordan Brown led the Valkyries in scoring with 13 points. She was followed on the Valkyries scoring list by fellow guards junior Zariyah Washington and junior Sierra Jones. Junior forward Amaia Parkings led the Valkyries in rebounding with eight.
The Valkyries and Mountain Lions went back and forth over the early minutes of the game with Converse scoring the first points of the game. After Young Harris took a 6-4 lead after two-and-a-half minutes played, Converse managed to tie the game twice, but was never able to reclaim the lead in the first quarter as the Mountain Lions scored 10 of the final 13 points of the quarter while neither team was able to score in the final two minutes of the first quarter. Young Harris took an 18-11 lead into the second quarter.
The next points were not scored until Washington netted two free throws with 7:30 remaining in the first half. After the last field goal in the first quarter, another was not scored by either team for almost six minutes of game time. Offensive production slowed for both teams after the first quarter as Young Harris halved their point total from the first 10 minutes and the teams combined for just five made field goals in the second quarter. The Mountain Lions grew their seven-point lead to eight and took a 27-19 lead into halftime.
Despite the Valkyries scoring the opening basket of the third quarter, the Mountain Lions' offense came out of the locker room on fire with an 8-2 run, adding six points to their already-double-digit lead before Converse took a timeout with 7:45 remaining in the third frame of action. The Valkyries offense ignited down the stretch and ended the quarter on a 7-0 run, cutting the lead to 12 points, 44-32, as Jones sank the team's first three pointer as time expired on the third frame of action.
Jones followed that up with her second three of the game to start the fourth quarter after one minute had elapsed. Converse cut the lead to six points, 44-38, before Young Harris was forced to take a timeout to regroup. After Washington cut the lead to four points with a three pointer of her own, Converse forced a huge turnover with a 10-second violation on which they were unable to capitalize. Just inside of two minutes to play, Brown stole the ball and dished to Damoah to cut the lead to two points, 51-49. She did so again with a driving layup just 50 seconds later following a Young Harris basket. Despite two shot attempts and an offensive rebound inside of five seconds to play, Converse was not able to find the equalizing basket and fell 53-51.
Converse returns to the court for the second game of their three-game homestand as they host the second place team in the northwest division, the Belmont Abbey Crusaders, at the Weisiger Center on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 P.M.
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