FLORENCE, S.C. –   The Chowan University women's basketball team fell to Conference Carolinas opponent Francis Marion, 78–72, on Tuesday evening.

The Hawks mounted a strong fourth-quarter rally after facing an 18-point deficit, battling back to within four points late in the contest. Chowan connected on three shots from beyond the arc in the last five minutes of play and made multiple trips to the free-throw line but ultimately came up just short.

Nyeisha Savage, Yasmine Brown, and Ayanna Rutledge paced the Hawks offensively, each finishing in double figures as Chowan surged in the final quarter.

With the result, the Hawks move to 11–8 overall and 9–6 in conference play.

THE BASICS

FINAL | Chowan 72,  Francis Marion 78

RECORDS | Chowan (11-8, 9-6) , Francis Marion (15-7,11-2)

LOCATION | Florence, S.C. (Smith University Center)

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

Coming off a career-high 25-point performance, Savage matched that same intensity with another dominant outing,finishing with 23 points on 10-16 shooting while going 3-4 from the free-throw line. She was a relentless presence on the glass with 15 rebounds, along with three blocks, two assists, and a steal.

Yasmine Brown contributed 17 points, finishing a perfect 4-4 from the free-throw line while dishing out a season-high seven assists and collecting four steals. Ayanna Rutledge rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points, shooting an efficient 2-3 from beyond the arc, while adding two assists, a steal, and a block.

As a team, the Hawks shot 40.9 percent (27-66) from the field and 31.3 percent (5-16) from three-point range. Chowan tallied 40 points in the paint, grabbed 34 rebounds, and converted 28 points off turnovers.

UP NEXT

The Hawks return home on Saturday, February 14, to host conference opponent Young Harris in the 16th annual Play4Kay Cancer Awareness matchup. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m., and fans are encouraged to wear pink or a color that represents a cancer cause close to their hearts in support.