Box Score DOVER DE – Graduate guard
Cabriel Duren had 21 points, including 13 in the second half, to help South Carolina State to a 64-60 win over host Delaware State Saturday afternoon in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference contest at Memorial Hall. Duren, the only Lady Bulldog in double figures, scored her team's final seven points.
The victory snapped a five-game losing streak for Coach Doug Robertson's team, which improved to 6-14 overall and 4-6 in the MEAC.
"We hung on," said Robertson's who team played all but five minutes of the period with leading scorer (17.1 ppg)
Kourtney Williams, who had missed the team's last two games with an injury. "We thought this game would be a test for Williams but she's just not ready. She has no explosion and that (explosion) is a big part of what she depends on in her game. And, then we had to play the second half without
Mykala Jones, who replaced her in the lineup.
"But, overall, we came to Dover, got a win and now we head home for three very important games. We have to hold serve at home if we are going to improve our position in the conference standings."
Former Lady Bulldog starter
Persephone Goodwin came off the bench for nine points to trail Duren in the scoring column for SC State.
Mykala Jones, who missed the entire second half due to an ankle sprang, and
Cherisha Floyd each added eight points in the win. Floyd and
Brittany Andersen had eight rebounds each for SC State which owned a 43-37 edge on the boards.
Delaware State was paced by Raven Bankston with 26 points and Deanna Harmon with 12. The Lady Hornets, whose only win in conference play came Feb 1 (86-66) at Morgan State, fell to 6-15 and 1-8 in the league.
SC State appeared to have control of the contest near the end of the first period. Leading 33-18 when Duren got a layup with 2:42 left in the half, the Lady Bulldogs were outscored 14-1 the rest of the way as Del-State closed to within two at 34-32 at the break. Bankston had eight points – including two 3-pointers – during the run.
SC State scored eight of the first 10 points to start the second half to take a 42-34 lead on a layup by DayShaun Richbow off a feed from
Chelsea White with 16:08 to play, but the Lady Hornets came back to deadlock the game at 47-all on two free throws by Harmon with 9:39 showing.
Duren made three of four from the free throw line for a 50-47 Lady Bulldog lead with 8:22 remaining. The Lady Hornets got to within two points – 52-50 – when Bankston made the first of two from the line with 6:52 left, but SC State closed with a 12-8 run to pull out the much-needed win.
The Lady Bulldogs begin its three-game home stand Saturday when SC State hosts North Carolina Central in the first game of an MEAC doubleheader, beginning at 4 p.m.
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