TIGERVILLE, S.C. – The Converse University women's basketball team dropped their Wednesday-night Conference Carolinas Northwest Division matchup against the North Greenville Trailblazers by a final score of 84-66.

With the loss Converse falls to 0-7 on the season and 0-2 in Conference Carolinas games. North Greenville improves to 4-3 on the season and 1-1 in conference games. The Valkyries fall to 0-1 in divisional matchups while NGU is 1-1 in such games.

Senior Mazie Helpman led all players in scoring with 24 points.
 
How It Happened
After exchanging empty possessions to open the game, the Valkyries scored first and worked their opening lead up to six points over the first two minutes of the game. The Valkyries held a lead of six points on two more occasions after NGU's first basket of the game. Converse held onto the lead until there were just 34 seconds left in the quarter before North Greenville tied the game at 16 points each. They took the lead with a last-second basket, going into the quarter up 18-16.

Senior Tatiana Brown scored the first point of the second quarter but it wasn't until the 7:15 mark in the second quarter that Converse tied the game once again. After two more NGU points, a three pointer from junior Lauren Clute put Converse back up again. Already up one point, the Valkyries ended the quarter on a 14-11 run, going into halftime up four, 38-34.

The Trailblazers opened the second half on a 9-0 run, taking their final lead of the game at the 7:49 mark in the third quarter. Converse sank their first basket of the quarter with 5:20 remaining until the fourth quarter. Including that basket, NGU ended the quarter on a five-minute-and-20-second 12-10 run, taking a 55-48 lead into the fourth quarter.

NGU exploded for 29 points in the final quarter, holding Converse to 18, and won 84-66.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Helpman led all players in scoring with 24 points. She shot 9-22, 40.9 percent, from the field and 2-8, 25.0 percent, from beyond the arc. Helpman sank all four of her free throw attempts.
• Senior Andrea Gutierrez Ciordia and freshman Madison Fileen also recorded double-digit scoring efforts with 16 and 13 points respectively.
• The Valkyries recorded 25 rebounds and six steals.
• Gutierrez Ciordia led the Valkyries in rebounding with eight.
• Fileen dished out a team-high four assists.
• Converse recorded 19 points off of 16 North Greenville turnovers.

Up Next
The Valkyries return home to the Weisiger Center on Saturday, Dec. 6 as they host the Southern Wesleyan Warriors for an in-state matchup. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 P.M.

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