Feb. 26, 2008
Final Stats
CHARLOTTE, NC - Virginia Union won three games during the regular season, but two of those wins came against Elizabeth City State.
The regular season held true to form as the Lady Panthers topped the Lady Vikings for a third time 69-65 in the CIAA Women's Tournament first-round game on Monday at Charlotte Bobcats Arena.
Camille Johnson sealed the win with a free throw - her only point - with two seconds left, but the shooting of Ashley Hill and the inside play of Katchona Johnson and Keisha Futrell sparked the Lady Panthers. Johnson led the way with 16 points while Hill added 15 points including three 3-pointers and Futrell had 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Hill made a clutch three-pointer with 1:03 remaining for a 66-63 Lady Panther lead which held up. Joyce Freeman, who scored a game-high 22 points and added 10 rebounds, scored on a short jumper with 16.8 seconds left to pull the Lady Vikings within one but Hill countered with two free throws for a 68-65 Lady Panther lead. The Vikings misfired on a potential game-tying three-point attempt, and Camille Johnson made the game-clinching free throw.
Shaquella Johnson added 11 points and 9 rebounds and April Whitaker grabbed 15 rebounds for the Lady Vikings, who outrebounded the Lady Panthers 56-46 without star center Celeste Trahan, the CIAA MVP and defensive player of the year who was out with a knee injury. But the Lady Vikings shot 32.9 percent and committed 24 turnovers.
The Lady Panthers shot 31.8 percent from the floor but made 21 of 31 free throws.
It appeared the Lady Vikings didn't need Trahan at first, jumping out to a 13-3 lead early in the game. But the Lady Panthers, aided by a press defense, slowly chipped away at the margin. The Lady Panthers led 20-19 after Latoya Jarvis' free throw capped a 17-6 run with 8:17 in the first half. The Lady Panthers went into halftime leading 35-29.
Hill scored 10 points and Katchona Johnson added eight points in the first half for the Lady Panthers, who led despite shooting 28.6 percent from the floor but they scored 13 points off 18 turnovers. The Lady Vikings were led by Freeman with 9 points and center Christina Hager with 7 points, but Hager picked up her third foul midway in the first half and the Lady Vikings were never the same. Hager eventually fouled out in the second half.
