SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The King University women's basketball team held off Converse Saturday afternoon to pick up their second consecutive win, 82-75.
Trinity Lee led all scorers, dropping 17 points and pulling eight rebounds.
THE BASICS
FINAL: King University 82, Converse 75
LOCATION: Tom & Tracy Hannah Gym; Spartanburg, S.C.
RECORDS: King 2-1, 1-0 Conference Carolinas; Converse 0-4, 0-1 Conference Carolinas
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Period
- King opened up an 8-2 lead in the first quarter, thanks in part to an 8-0 run that spanned almost three minutes.
- After the Valkyries rallied back to take the lead, Lee hit a jumper with 1:07 left to tie the game at 12.
- Converse took a shot with 26 seconds left in the quarter that was blocked by Ashley Allen, who proceeded to get the defensive rebound. King's ensuing shot at the other end did not go, leaving the game tied at 12 after the first.
Second Period
- In the second quarter, the lead traded hands early, with King grabbing the lead off a three from Lee that made it 17-16.
- The Tornado then proceeded to go on an 10-2 run to stretch the lead to 27-18.
- After a Converse layup, Jhayda McKinney drilled a deep three to give the Tornado a 10-point lead, which would quickly be trimmed to four.
- Jaden Potts then hit a three to reset the King lead to seven before Converse responded with a three of their own, cutting the halftime lead to 33-29.
Third Period
- The third quarter started just like the previous two, with the Tornado scoring early. Kiki Samsel scored just 12 seconds into the period to give the Tornado a six-point lead.
- The quarter would be a back-and-forth affair, with King taking a nine-point lead on multiple occasions, though Converse would come storming back and get to within a single point with 3:17 left.
- King started to repair their lead, starting with Samantha Fugate hitting a pair of free throws, then Brianna Dunbar hit a jumper before Samsel hit a transition three to give King a six-point lead in the blink of an eye.
- Converse did go on a run to close the quarter, cutting the lead to four points.
Fourth Period
- Converse scored first in the final quarter, but the Tornado then went on a 6-0 run, including a three from Desiree Bates.
- After yet another King scoring run, McKinney drilled a three with 4:52 left to give King a 13-point lead, which would end up as their largest of the game.
- The Valkyries were able to rally back and keep the game close, but ultimately the Tornado defense was able to hold onto the lead, and the win, thanks in part to going 4-6 from the line in the closing minute.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Samsel finished the game with a season-high 14 points, while tying her season-high in rebounds at 2.
- Lee is now third in the conference in points per game, averaging 17.3. She is third on the team in rebounds (5.0 per game) and is leading in minutes played (28.7 per game)
- As a team, the Tornado went 16-20 (80%) from the free throw line.
FOR THE FOES
- Sydney Wilson and Lindsey Hardin both scored 15 points for the Valkyries, with Wilson adding six rebounds.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- King is now 20-3 all-time against Converse, with a 10-1 record in Spartanburg.
UP NEXT
- King will continue their season-opening road trip Tuesday, when they take on North Greenville in another Conference Carolinas matchup in Tigerville, S.c.
- Converse will stay at home for the next few weeks, and will host Erskine Tuesday at 5 p.m.
