- Posted in All University
- Category: AthleticsCampus News
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, PA - With the culmination of a very emotional week, the Lincoln University women's basketball team was able to compartmentalize for 40 minutes en route to the convincing 89-63 victory over Virginia Union Saturday in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association action inside Manuel Rivero Gym.
Almost seven days after learning of the untimely death of former women's basketball player, DeAshia Young, it was the player that shared her number and last name that got the team rolling early. Junior Jade Young (Philadelphia, Pa./Abington Friends School) assisted on the first two baskets, then had a driving layup to give Lincoln an eight-point lead just three minutes into the contest.
From there it was her former teammates that seemingly took over.
The trio of fifth-year senior Bryanna Brown (New York, N.Y./Bishop Loughlin), fifth-year senior Joy Morton (Yeadon, Pa./Penn Wood), and senior Shantel Cheeks (Washington D.C./Rock Creek Christian Academy (Harcum College)) combined for 49 points and 21 rebounds. Meanwhile, Young added 13 points, five assists, three rebounds, and a steal.
A three-pointer by Brown pushed Lincoln's lead to 16 points, 24-8, with 1:35 remaining and the lead was 13 at the end of the first quarter. Virginia Union, despite the raucous Rivero crowd, closed the first half on 12-4 to pull to within nine at the break.
The Panthers were able to stay close and even pulled to within six with 58 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Then a tsunami named Brown swallowed any idea the Panthers had a stealing a victory. She scored nine straight points and 11 of 13 points to jumpstart the game-deciding 18-0 run that stretched the end of the third quarter and the first half of the fourth. As the leather was tickling the twine in abundance, the student section became louder and louder, and eventually, the job was complete.
Brown finished with 27 points on efficient 8-of-12 shooting, including 5-of-7 from three-point range with two rebounds and two steals. Morton came off the bench for 16 points and five rebounds, while senior Kryshell Gordy (Chester, Pa./Ursuline Academy (Del.)) contributed her third double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Cheeks pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds, 13 on the defensive end, with six points and three steals.
Lincoln (17-7 overall, 10-4 CIAA, 6-2 North), which stayed tied with ECSU atop the CIAA's Northern Division, travels to Shaw at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
