SPARTANBURG, S.C. – For the second time in as many seasons, the Converse University women's basketball team (3-10, 1-5 Conference Carolinas) went toe-to-toe with the Belmont Abbey Crusaders (12-2, 6-0 Conference Carolinas), one of Conference Carolinas' best teams and the fourth-ranked team in the southeast region. The Valkyries' would-be buzzer beater fell short of the rim and Belmont Abbey won 54-51.
Graduate guard Jordan Brown led Converse in scoring with 16 points. She was the only Valkyrie to score in double digits. Brown also led the team in rebounding with 12. Senior forward Amaia Parkins was the team's second-leading rebounder with seven and recorded a pair of blocks, the most of any player on either team.
The Valkyries and Crusaders exchanged their first two baskets of the game and were even at four points each before Converse held Belmont Abbey without a basket for over two minutes. During that scoreless stretch for the Crusaders, they missed five shots. Belmont Abbey's lead never grew to more than three points in the first quarter, and was down to just one point, 11-10, at the quarter's end.
A Converse run to open the second quarter put the Valkyries up one point before both teams went cold for almost two minutes. The Valkyries, not content to concede anything to the conference's best team, caught fire at the end of the first half, going four-for-five from the field over the final five minutes of the second quarter and holding Belmont Abbey to just six points over that same span. With a four-point edge in the second quarter, Converse took a three-point, 25-22, lead into the halftime break.
With just under seven minutes remaining in the third quarter, Converse grew the lead to five points and fought off a comeback attempt from the Crusaders. Belmont Abbey tied the game with 2:30 to play in the third quarter, but a 5-3 advantage to end the half put the Valkyries up two points, 41-39 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Valkyries' last lead came with 7:25 remaining in the game. They twice tied the game after that but were unable to regain possession of the lead. After a one-point lead became a three-point lead for Belmont Abbey thanks to a pair of free throws, the would-be buzzer-beater to tie the game from senior guard Elisa Solé Sanchez fell short and Belmont Abbey won 54-51.
Due to inclement winter weather in Spartanburg limiting the Valkyries' travel plans, their Saturday, Jan. 11 road game against the Claflin Panthers has been postponed. They are back on the court on Tuesday, Jan. 14 as they head to Bristol, Tennessee to take on the King University Tornado. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 P.M.
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