HARROGATE, Tenn. – The Converse University women's basketball team dropped their season opener against the Middle Georgia State Knights 66-61 Friday evening at B. Frank Turner Arena on the campus of Lincoln Memorial University.

The game marks the first meeting of the two institutions and Middle Georgia's first member of NCAA Division II.

Senior Andrea Gutierrez Ciordia led Converse in scoring with 14 points.
 
How It Happened
Freshman Madison Fileen opened the game with her first career basket. Converse built that opening lead up to as many as seven points before Middle Georgia scored their first basket. The Valkyries built that lead up to as many as five in the first quarter and led for the entire quarter after the first basket of the game. Converse held a two-point, 15-13, lead going into the second quarter.

It took nearly four minutes for either team to score in the second quarter. After tying the game near the six-minute mark, MGA built their lead up to six points before Gutierrez Ciordia netted Converse's first basket of the quarter just before the two-minute mark.

Converse ended the first half on a 6-2 run to cut Middle Georgia's halftime lead to 23-21.

Gutierrez Ciordia hit back-to-back layups, recording a steal in the middle, just inside the eight-minute mark in the third quarter to tie the game at 25 points. Middle Georgia built their lead to eight points before Fileen nailed a three pointer to stop the run. The Knights surged late in the quarter and took an 11-point, 44-33, lead into the fourth quarter.

Freshman JoLesa Birkhead led a 15-6 Valkyrie run to open the fourth quarter, tying the game at 48 points with just over six minutes remaining in the game. Converse went on to reclaim a lead for the first time since the second quarter with a layup from Brown.

Unfortunately for Converse, it was the last time they held a lead as MGA ended the game on a 14-8 run and won 66-61.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Gutierrez Ciordia led the Valkyries with 14 points. She shot 5-14 from the field and 1-8 from beyond the arc. She was 3-4 from the charity stripe. She played 39 minutes and also recorded a team-high three steals.
• Senior Tatiana Brown and freshman Madison Fileen each netted double digit points with 12 and 11 respectively.
• The Valkyries shot 19-62, 30.6 percent, from the field and 10-40, 25.0 percent, from beyond the arc.
• Brown led Converse in rebounding with 11 boards. Nine of her rebounds were defensive. She also dished out a team-high four assists.
• Converse secured 11 offensive rebounds and netted four second-chance points.

Up Next
The Valkyries face off against the crossover's hosts, the Lincoln Memorial Railsplitters, tomorrow, Nov. 15, at 3 P.M.

Follow Converse
https://www.facebook.com/ConverseValkyries
Twitter: @Valkyrie_Sports
Instagram: @ConverseValkyries & @Converse_WBB