FERRUM, Va. –  The Converse University women's basketball team fell to the Ferrum College Panthers by a final score of 77-59 Saturday afternoon at the Swartz Gymnasium on the Ferrum College.

With the loss, the Valkyries fall to 1-13 this season and 0-6 in Conference Carolinas play. Ferrum improves to 5-8 and 3-2 in Conference Carolinas play.

Senior Andrea Gutierrez Ciordia led the Valkyries in scoring with 16 points.

How It Happened
Converse took two two-point leads over the first two minutes of the contest. It would take Converse nearly six minutes to score again, stopping a nine-point run by the Panthers. Following that Valkyrie basket, Ferrum ended the quarter on a 7-2 run to go up 10 points, 18-8, heading into the second quarter.

Ferrum added five points to their lead over the first three minutes of the second quarter as the teams mostly traded baskets. But just four points from Converse through the rest of the first half put the Panthers up 43-18 heading into halftime.

Converse came out with a refreshed energy in the third quarter, nearly doubling their offensive output from the previous two quarters. Senior Mazie Helpman and freshman Madison Fileen both sank baskets in the first 90 seconds of the second half to begin cutting into the Panthers' lead. But as the Panthers responded by building their lead back up over the course of the quarter, Converse began to chip into the lead over the final four minutes of the quarter. Ferrum added just two points to their lead in the quarter as they sank a last-second three point shot, going into the final quarter with the Panthers leading 61-34.

Converse outscored the Panthers 25-16 in the fourth quarter, with nine different Valkyries contributing a basket to that total. Despite the late push, the Valkyries fell 77-59 to Ferrum.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Gutierrez Ciordia led Converse in scoring with 16 points. She shot 8-9, 88.9 percent, from the field.
• Fileen and Helpman also scored double-digit points with 10 points each. They were the only Valkyries to sink a three pointer, making one each.
• Gutierrez Ciordia also led the Valkyries in rebounding with eight.
• Junior Rayanna Evans secured a team-high three steals.

Up Next
The Valkyries return to action on Wednesday, Jan. 7 as they wrap up the roadtrip in Banner Elk, North Carolina to take on the Lees-McRae Bobcats. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 P.M.

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