SPARTANBURG, S.C.  –  The Converse University women's basketball team fell to the Shorter University Hawks 70-62 Friday night in the teams' Conference Carolinas matchup at the Weisiger Center on the campus of Converse University.

With the loss, Converse falls to 1-15 overall and 0-8 in Conference Carolinas play. Shorter improves to 6-7 and 4-2 in conference action.

Junior Tatiana Brown led Converse in scoring with 17 points. 

How It Happened
After the Valkyries and Hawks exchanged three pointers to open the game, Shorter kicked off a 12-0 run over the next nearly four minutes. Freshman Madison Fileen ended that Shorter run with a three point, cutting the lead to nine. The rest of the opening quarter was closer as they grew just four points with Shorter leading 26-13 heading into the second quarter.

Over the first two and a half minutes of the second quarter, Converse cut the lead back to single digits, trailing by eight points, 28-20. An equal run by the Hawks put the lead back at 13 points with just under four minutes to play in the first half. The Valkyries outpaced Shorter 9-5 over those final four minutes with all nine of the Valkyries' points coming from Brown. Shorter led 42-33 at halftime.

A 7-2 run to open the second half cut the lead to just four points when senior Emma Kanz hit a layup to put the score at 44-40. Shorter built the lead back up to 11 points before Converse scored just before the third-quarter media timeout. Finishing the quarter strong with five points from Fileen and three from graduate student Janiyah Hagood, Converse trailed just five points, 53-48, heading into the fourth quarter.

Only down five, Converse opened the fourth quarter on a six-point run, taking their first (and only) lead of the game 54-53 with 8:13 remaining in the game. The Hawks scored the next 11 points, taking nearly four and a half minutes off the clock and were up eight points when Brown hit a close-range jump shot to end the Valkyries' drought, cutting the lead to eight points. That was the exact margin they won by as Shorter held on to win 70-62.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Brown led the Valkyries with 17 points in just 18 minutes of action. She shot 5-8, 62.5 percent, from the field and went 7-8, 87.5 percent, from the charity stripe.
• Fileen also tallied double-digit points with 15. She also dished out a team-high five assists.
• Senior Andrea Gutierrez Ciordia led Converse in steals with four.
• Converse had 15 assists in the game, a season high for the Valkyries.

Up Next
The Valkyries return to action on Saturday, Jan. 17 as they host the Barton Bulldogs at the Weisiger Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 P.M.

Follow Converse
https://www.facebook.com/ConverseValkyries
Twitter: @Valkyrie_Sports
Instagram: @ConverseValkyries & @Converse_WBB