BRISTOL, Tenn. – The Converse University women's basketball team (9-18, 7-13 Conference Carolinas) went point-for-point with the King University Tornado (12-15, 10-10 Conference Carolinas) in the first half of their Wednesday-evening matchup, but a second-half surge by the Tornado led to the Valkyries 70-59 defeat.

Senior guard Elisa Solé Sanchez tallied 28 points, the highest single-game total by any Valkyrie all season. Junior guard Alexis Becker scored 12 points. Solé Sanchez also led Converse in rebounding with eight, followed by junior guard Darling Harris who had seven. Graduate guard Jordan Brown led the team in steals with three.

Despite an advantage in field goal percentage in the first quarter, Converse stayed within one possession heading into the second quarter with three three-pointers over the first ten minutes. Converse trailed just two points at the end of the first quarter.

The teams flipped the script in the second quarter as Converse tallied 16 points while holding King to 14 points. Converse again drained more three-pointers than the Tornado and went into halftime tied 32-32.

King made just three field goals in the third quarter, but made the most of 12 trips to the free throw line as they went 9-for-12 from the charity stripe in the third quarter. Converse drained five field goals, including two three-pointers, trailing just one point heading into the final quarter.

The Tornado opened up with a 12-2 run over the first five minutes of the fourth quarter. Both teams scored 10 more points over the final five minutes of the game, but with the 10-point swing to open the final quarter, King secured the 70-59 victory.

With the 2024-25 regular season finished, the Valkyries prepare for the 2025 Conference Carolinas Championship. As the Conference Carolinas KPI rankings stand at 7:30 P.M. On Wednesday, Feb. 26, the Valkyries will be the 10th seed in the championship. That puts them in line to play a first-round game against ninth-seeded Barton on Sunday, March 2 on the campus of UNC Pembroke. The winner of that game will face off against the fourth-seeded Braves on Monday, March 3. Game times will be announced at a later date.

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