LAWRENCEVILLE, VA – Joy Hairston and Jessica Hawkins each scored 23 points as the third-ranked Shaw women’s basketball team defeated St. Paul’s 99-63 at Taylor-Whitehead Gymnasium.  Shaw runs its streak of victories over CIAA opponents to 43-striaght. 

St. Paul’s (0-18, 0-7, 0-3) jumped out to an early 9-4 lead as Alice Gaines’ three-pointer with 16 minutes, 34 seconds remaining in the first half put the Lady Tigers ahead 9-4.  Consecutive three-pointers by Kiarsha Curtis within one minute tied the game at 9-9 and Nastassia Boucicault’s jumper at the 15:34 mark gave Shaw the 11-9 lead.

With the Lady Tigers down by as much as 15 points, Jessica Eley’s lay-up with 3:13 remaining in the half pulled St. Paul’s to within 38-28.  St. Paul’s would close the half outscoring the Lady Bears 8-2 to pull to within 40-36 at halftime.  St. Paul’s had nine second chance points in the half and outrebounded Shaw 30-23, with 13 of those rebounds coming on the offensive end.

St. Paul’s would pull to within 42-39 on a three-pointer by Keoina Johnson with 18:47 remaining in the second half.  But the Lady Bears (16-1, 7-0, 3-0) would blow the game wide open going on a 17-4 run over the next five minutes and holding their biggest lead of the game to that point 59-43 with 13:43 remaining.

Hairston and Hawkins had 14 and 13 rebounds, respectively to go along with their 23 points.  Leslee Anderson was also in double figures with 19 points.  Nikki Bowen led St. Paul’s with 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting.  Tyanka Lee chipped in 15 points.  Shaw forced the Lady Tigers into 32 turnovers.

Shaw will host Fayetteville State on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at Spaulding Gymnasium.