Box Score ORANGEBURG, S.C. – Senior
Kourtney Williams tossed in 23 points, 18 in the second half, to lift the South Carolina State women's basketball team to a 69-58 come-from-behind win over visiting Maryland Eastern Shore in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game Saturday. SC State used a 19-3 run in the final five minutes of the contest to nab the victory.
Williams, who missed three of her first five free throws, made six in the final 3:09 as the Lady Bulldogs were limited to just two baskets in the last eight minutes of the contest but made all 14 attempts from the line pull out the win.
Amber Howard, who had both SC State field goals during that span, added 12 points and four assists, while
Jasmine Coleman had a game-high 11 rebounds, and was one of three players with eight points in the win, which lifted Coach Doug Robertson's team to 14-10 overall and 7-6 in the MEAC. Also chipping in with eight points were
Jazzmine Johnson and reserve Ashley Outler.
Shawnee Sweeney had 17 points, including a 5-7 effort from beyond the arc, to lead the Lady Hawks. Alexis Udoji added 12 points and a team-high seven boards, and Jessica Long contributed 11 points in the loss, which dropped UMES to 10-14 and 7-7 in league play.
Host SC State trailed 55-50 after Mariah McCoy, who had nine points for the Lady Hawks, got a follow shot with 5:03 to play.
Howard, who had made just one of nine attempts from the field, then canned a 3-pointer – her second of the contest – to pull SC State to within 55-53 with 4:02 showing before two free throws by Coleman deadlocked the contest at 55-all 3:41 on the clock.
Long made one of two from the charity stripe to give UMES a 56-55 edge with 3:34 showing, butWilliams made six straight free throws to give SC State a 61-56 advantage with 1:39 on the clock. Long was 1-of- 2 from the line again to slice the margin to 61-57 before SC State closed out the game with an 8-1 run -- with six of the total coming from the free throw line -- to lock up the 69-58 triumph.
SC State, which trailed most of the opening half before battling back to go ahead 25-23 at the break, won the rebounding battle 34-28 and also registered 10 steals to just four for the visitors. Robertson's team made 46.9 percent of its shots (23-of-49) from the field, while UMES connected on 42.9 percent (21-of-49) of its attempts.
The Lady Bulldogs return to the court Monday when they host Howard in the first game of an MEAC doubleheader beginning at 5:30 p.m.
