Box Score
SHIPPENSBURG, PA – It did not take long for
Ransheda Jennings and
Talaya Lynch to show why they were named to the 2011-2012 Pre-Season All-CIAA Team.
Jennings poured in a game-high 16 points to go along with nine rebounds, and Lynch tallied 15 points, including going 5-5 at the free throw line, to lead Chowan to a 48-46 win over the University of Charleston on Saturday. Chowan (1-0) will face the winner of this evening's contest between Saint Michael's College and Shippensburg University. That championship game will be held tomorrow at 4:00pm.
Despite the output from the two All-CIAA picks, the game was marred by poor shooting and turnovers. The teams combined to commit 69 turnovers and make only 28 field goals.
The Hawks shot 12-48 from the floor (25%), and four of those makes were from three-point territory. The Golden Eagles (0-1) were not much better offensively, shooting 16-56 (29%). The difference in this game, as is true with many close games, turned out to be free throws. Chowan drained 20 of 29 attempts from the charity stripe, compared to just 8 of 13 shooting for Charleston.
The University of Charleston got off to a quick start early, opening up an 11-3 lead just over seven minutes into the game. The Hawks settled down from there, and eventually tied the game at 15 following a Lynch and-one.
Eight straight points from Jennings put Chowan up 25-18 with 3:18 on the first half clock. That surge was part of a 16-2 run that spanned over six minutes.
The Chowan momentum continued into the second half, as they connected on three of their first five shots to open up a 31-22 advantage with 17:55 remaining. The Hawks needed every bit of that cushion, because from that point on, their offense struggled. For the remainder of the game, Chowan managed just one field goal.
Over the next 15 minutes of play, Chowan connected on eight free throws, marking all of their offense during the span.
The Hawks' defense, though, picked up its offense. The Golden Eagles misfired on their first nine shots in the period, while committing nine turnovers. A Chrissy Keir three pointer gave U of C their first field goal of the half – at the 13:32 mark. Keir led the Golden Eagles with 15 points on the day.
Charleston's offense did not get much going, either, and they were unable to pull away despite Chowan's offense struggles. Charleston managed only five field goals themselves for the remainder of the game, following Keir's trey.
Down the stretch, Chowan kept relying on their defense and free throw shooting to seal the victory. In the final 2:37, the Hawks shot 7 of 9 from the free throw line, while the Golden Eagles did not attempt a single free throw. On the defensive side of the ball, Chowan held Charleston to just 1-10 shooting from the field down the stretch.
Courtney Knight tallied nine points and grabbed four rebounds for Chowan.
Janelle Murphy had seven points to go along with five rebounds.
