HARTSVILLE, S.C. – The Converse University men's basketball team fell in their season opener to the Georgia Southwestern State Hurricanes 91-67 Friday afternoon at the DeLoach Center on the campus of Coker University.
 
With the loss, Converse falls to 0-1 on the season. Georgia Southwestern improves to 1-0 on the young season.

Redshirt senior Latavian Lawrence led the Valkyries offensively with 17 points. 
 
How It Happened
Georgia Southwestern netted the game's first basket just over two and a half minutes into the contest. Converse fought back two possessions later, converting two free throws to tie the game once again.

After two more points from GSW, junior Chrisean Oree drained a three pointer, giving Converse their first and only lead of the game.

Georgia Southwestern scored 11 consecutive unanswered points to put the Hurricanes up 15-5 with just under 16 minutes to play in the opening half.

Lawrence stopped the Valkyries' drought with a layup. Converse cut the lead to just one point twice over the next nine minutes, but were unable to even or pass the Canes' score. GSW built their lead back up to double digits inside of five minutes to play in the first half and back up to 15 points inside of one minute to go in the opening 20 minutes. Lawrence converted a pair of free throws to end the half with GSW up 43-30.

The Canes built their lead up to 20 points over the first 10 minutes of the second half and reached what turned out to be their maximum lead of 27 points twice in. Redshirt freshman Will Fowler hit the last basket of the game with 21 seconds remaining, bringing the game to its final score of 91-67.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Lawrence led the Valkyries offensively with 17 points. He shot 5-9 from the field and 2-4 from beyond the arc. He played 18 minutes.
• Senior Jordyn Surratt and Fowler also scored in double digits, putting up 12 and 11 points respectively.
• The Valkyries shot 20-57, 35.1 percent, from the field. Converse was 7-25, 28.0 percent, from beyond the arc.
• In total, nine different Valkyries scored in the campaign's opening contest.
• Surratt also led the Valkyries in scoring 
• Converse secured nine offensive rebounds and converted them into nine second-chance points.
• Converse converted 12 GSW turnovers into 10 points.

Up Next
The Valkyries face off against the crossover's hosts, the Coker Cobras and former Valkyrie head coach Nick Pasqua, tomorrow, Nov. 15, at 4 P.M.

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