FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. – The Converse men's basketball team fell 90-79 in their Conference Carolinas opener Saturday afternoon against Emmanuel.

With the loss, Converse falls to 1-2 on the season. Emmanuel improves to 1-3. The Valkyries are 0-1 in conference play while the Lions are now 1-0.

Senior Jordyn Surratt led Converse in scoring with 24 points.

How It Happened
Redshirt freshman Will Fowler nailed a three pointer on the first possession of the game to put Converse up early. Converse built that lead up to four points, 7-3, with 17:36 remaining in the half. After Emmanuel took their first lead of the game with 15:41 remaining in the half, Converse worked to retake and expand it over the next two and a half minutes.

Converse nearly doubled up the Lions over the next five minutes, increasing their lead to 10 points, 31-21, with just under nine minutes remaining in the opening half. After an Emmanuel three pointer cut the lead to eight with 8:13 in the half, both times went quiet for over two and a half minutes until Fowler broke the scoreless streak with a three pointer. The Lions continued to chip into the 10-point lead, but Converse always responded, regrowing that lead to 10 on three different occasions over the final four and a half minutes of the half. The Valkyries led 47-37 at halftime.

At the first timeout of the second half, Emmanuel had chipped away just three points off the lead. Coming out of that timeout, the Lions hit the ground running and cut the lead to one point with 13:55 remaining. They tied the game at 58 points just over twenty seconds later. Converse did not lead for the rest of the game.

A 32-21 run over the final 11 and a half minutes sealed the Valkyries' defeat.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Surratt led the Valkyries in scoring with 24 points. He shot 8-13, 61.5 percent, from the field and 3-5, 60.0 percent, from beyond the arc.
• Fowler also scored double-digit points with 18. He shot 5-9, 55.6 percent, from the field and also shot 3-5, 60.0 percent, from beyond the arc.
• Both Surratt and Fowler shot 5-8 from the free throw line.
• Surratt led Converse in rebounding with seven boards.
• Redshirt senior Latavian Lawrence and freshman Giannis Donakis both recorded five rebounds.
• Fowler led Converse in assists with five.
• Converse converted 11 offensive rebounds into 11 second-chance points.

Up Next
The Valkyries head on the road on Tuesday, Nov. 25 as they take on the Augusta Jaguars. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 P.M.

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