ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (Feb. 13, 2019) – Lincoln used 24 fourth quarter free throws to fuel a 29-15 closing run which boosted the Lions to an 82-76 CIAA win over Elizabeth City State in the Robert L. Vaughan Center.
 
Freshman guard Asia Deal poured in 17 of her career-high 24 points during the first half while finishing with four steals and a team-high three steals for the Vikings (13-12, CIAA 5-9, North Div. 2-5) who dropped their fourth straight decision in the North Division.
 
The Lions (14-11, CIAA 8-6, North Div. 5-2), who got game highs of 28 points, 11 rebounds and six blocked shots from sophomore center Alisia Machado, went 19 for 24 from the charity stripe in the final period to erase an 8-point deficit in the final six minutes.
 
Senior guard Jalyn Brown, who tallied 22 points, four rebounds and two assists, knocked down one of her four 3-point jumpers with 6:02 left to give ECSU a 61-53 lead.
 
Lincoln went nine for nine from the line to fuel a 14-0 run over the next two minutes and 15 seconds to take control of the game at 68-61.  The Vikings whittled their deficit to 76-72 on a free throw by freshman guard Iya Holley-Reid with 54 seconds left, but a conventional 3-point play by Machado moments later moved the Lions out of danger.
 
Deal connected on seven of 11 field goals in the first half to help the Vikings carry a 33-30 lead into the break.  The Vikings controlled the opening quarter, 20-10, before the Lions bounced back to outscore the home team 20-13 in the second.
 
Brown dropped in a 3-point jumper just 10 seconds into the second quarter to give the Vikings a 23-10 lead.  Junior guard DeAsia Young, who finished with 20 points and four assists, started and finished an 18-2 run to give Lincoln a 28-27 lead with 2:45 remaining in the half.
 
Junior forward Devona Stell hauled down a team-high nine rebounds for the Vikings while freshman guard Sirenna Pitts came off the bench for a career-high nine points and six rebounds.  Junior forward Markeia Porter dished off a game-high six assists while adding seven rebounds and junior forward Naterria Luster chipped in five points and eight rebounds.
 
Junior guard Kwanza Murray totaled 15 points and eight rebounds for the Lions while junior guard Kenzie Spencer added 10 points, seven rebounds, four assists and a game-high four steals.
 
UP NEXT:
ECSU travels to Virginia State on Saturday and Virginia Union on Wednesday for key CIAA women's-men's doubleheaders before closing out the regular season against Bowie State on Feb. 23.
 
The Viking women battle the Trojans at 2 p.m. Saturday in Petersburg before the men's game tips off at 4.  The women downed Virginia State, 72-59, in the first meeting between the teams on Jan. 26 in the Vaughan Center.