MURFREESBORO, N.C. – The Converse University women's basketball team (8-16, 6-11 Conference Carolinas) battled to the end against the league's top-ranked team, but ultimately fell in their road contest to the Chowan Hawks (17-3, 14-3 Conference Carolinas) by a final score of 68-58 Sunday afternoon at Bob Burke Court on the campus of Chowan University.

Sophomore center Tatiana Brown led all players in scoring for the second consecutive game with 23 points, 10 more than Chowan's top scorer. Junior guard Alexis Becker also tallied double-digit scoring with 14 points. Graduate guard Jordan Brown led all players in rebounding with 12.

The Valkyries came out of the gate hot, shooting 47.1% from the field in the first quarter and holding Chowan to 28.6%. After tying the game with 6:41 to play in the opening quarter, Converse went on a 13-2 run to end the quarter. The Valkyries doubled up Chowan's nine first-quarter points and led 18-9 heading into the second quarter.

The Valkyries cooled off in the second quarter while the Hawks found their rhythm. A 6-2 Chowan run to open the quarter cut the lead to just five points with just under two minutes played in the second quarter. The teams exchanged baskets over the next four minutes, further cutting the lead by one point. The Valkyries fended off the Hawks until their were just over two minutes remaining in the first half when Chowan reclaimed their first lead since early in the first quarter. The Hawks led by just two heading into the halftime break.

Converse outshot the Hawks going 43.8% from the floor and 2-for-4 from beyond the arc in the third quarter. The Valkyries and Hawks continued to exchange baskets in the third quarter, and Jordan Brown gave Converse its final lead of the game with 6:56 remaining in the third frame. Twenty-seconds later, Chowan sank a layup that gave them their final lead of the game.

The Valkyries pulled back within three points of the Hawks around the halfway mark in the fourth quarter but managed just two points the rest of the way and fell 68-58.

The Valkyries wrap up their three-game road stint on Wednesday, Feb. 19 as they head to Belmont, North Carolina to take on the Belmont Abbey Crusaders. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 P.M.

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