Greensboro, NC
Foul trouble and a resilient NC Wesleyan team gave Greensboro all it could handle on Tuesday night (February 22nd). A raucus crowd at Hanes Gym helped propel the Pride into the semifinals of the USA South Conference Tournament after an 85-77 win, despite floor general
Lauren Livingston and
Quadijah Moore both fouling out of the game.
Greensboro led 28-22 after a back-and-forth first quarter that saw Greensboro go 10-18 (56%) from the field. The second period saw the Pride cool off, going making just two of their 17 shots, which allowed NC Wesleyan to climb ahead. The Bishops were balanced offensively, with four players in double figures. Kayla Johnson led the way with 19, and she was joined by Myesha Best (16 points), Kayrisma Harrison (12 points), and Nyesha Best (10 points). NC Wesleyan took advantage of the stagnant Pride offense and seized a 42-37 lead at the half.
NC Wesleyan would grow its lead to six after a 3-point basket by Kayla Johnson with 2:50 remaining in the 3rd quarter, and would go on to lead by as many as eight at 65-57.Â
Greensboro's offense came alive in the 4th period, as they went 9-16 (56%) from the field, as well as a blistering 5-9 (55.6%) from 3-point range. Â
Karli Mason went 5-8 from beyond the arc as part of her 19 points, while
Ta'Keria Legette hit all three of her 3-point attempts. Her 3-point jumper with 5:30 left in the game brought the crowd to its feet and put the Pride ahead 69-68. A subsequent 3-point shot on the next offensive possession from Mason pushed the lead to four as Greensboro held a 72-68 lead with 4:48 remaining. Another jumper by
Ta'Keria Legette was the knockout punch that kept the Pride on top 79-75 with just 1:39 on the clock. She would finish the game with a game-high 22 points to go along with 12 rebounds.
Greensboro (25-1) moves on the the Conference semi-finals to play Berea at 5PM Friday in Buena Vista, VA. The other semi-final features Piedmont and Southern Virginia, with the winners playing in the Championship game at 3PM on Saturday.
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