Bears Athletics - Lady Bears Upset by Saint Paul's

McGaughey’s 20 Not Enough As Shaw Upset by Saint Paul’s 56-52

(Raleigh, NC) – Despite Tanisha McGaughey’s (left) 20 points, the Shaw women’s basketball team was upset by Saint Paul’s 56-52.

Saint Paul’s (3-11, 2-8 CIAA) stormed to an early 11-0 lead, and while the Bears briefly held the lead in the second, the Lady Tigers hit two critical three pointers in the closing three minutes of the game to cement the upset.

The loss is Shaw’s third in a row – second in the CIAA – all since the Lady Bears were ranked 23 last week by USA Today’s Coaches Poll.

The game was marked by poor shooting by both teams. The Lady Bears managed to shoot only 27.3 percent, while the Lady Tigers fared only slightly better at 31.5 percent.

The Lady Bears got off to a slow start, allowing the Lady Tigers to build an 11-0 lead before Maggie Tanner hit two free throws with 12:58 left in the half. Shaw’s first bucket did not come until 10:51 when McGaughey hit a jumper on the right side of the lane to make the score 11-4.

The Lady Bears slowly chipped away at the lead, cutting it to two with 6:26 left on a Niesha Searles layup, but the Lady Tigers built an eight-point lead with 2:04 left. McGaughey then went on a 6-0 run to close out the first half with the Lady Bears trailing 26-24.

McGaughey gave the Lady Bears their first lead in the opening minute of the second with a three pointer. But the Lady Tigers immediately reclaimed the lead, and held it until six minutes were left in the game when Quaticqua Johnson hit a layup that gave Shaw a 44-42 lead.

The two teams fought evenly for the next three minutes. With 2:45 left in the game, McGaughey was fouled on a layup and converted for the three-point play, giving the Lady Bears a three-point lead. Those would be the last points Shaw scored in the game.

Ten seconds later, DeAudra Brown tied the game with a trey of her own. A minute later, Juantale Cook hit a three and later went one for two at the line to give the Lady Tigers the 56-52 final tally.

Johnson joined McGaughey in double digits with ten points. Victoria Tanner led the Lady Bears with 12 rebounds.

Three Lady Tigers scored in double figures: Allukeshia Guy with 15, Brown with 12, and Cook with ten. Guy completed the double-double with ten rebounds. Tiffany Merritt also had ten rebounds. Tatiana Ellis led Saint Paul’s with six assists.

The Lady Bears travel to Lincoln (PA) Saturday, January 23 for a 5:30 tip. They return home Saturday, January 30 at 5:30 p.m. in C. C. Spaulding Gymnasium against Fayetteville State.

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