Poor Free-Throw Shooting Doom Lady Bison
WASHINGTON, DC – The Howard University women's basketball team shot just 52 percent from the charity stripe en route to a 45-44 decision against Fairleigh Dickinson (8-4) at Burr Gymnasium on Thurs. Dec. 30. This is the fourth straight loss for the Lady Bison and the fifth straight win for the Knights.
HU (3-10) finishes the month of December with a 1-4 mark. Howard will look to start the 2011 year off on a winning note when it wraps up its non-conference schedule at Navy on Tues. Jan. 4.
Saadia Doyle recorded when sixth double-double of the season with game-bests of 17 points and 12 boards. Cheyenne Curley-Payne tallied nine points and seven rebounds on the night.
The Lady Bison won the battle in the paint (24-18), points off turnovers (12-4), and second chance opportunities (10-4) – but free-throw shooting proved to be key. The Knights went a flawless 10-for-10 from the stripe as Howard went 13-for-25. Rebounding was even with both teams pulling down 43 off the glass.
There were 11 ties and 17 lead changed, but neither team shot well as both were held to under a thirty percent clip for the entire game.
The score was knotted 21-21 after the first 20 minutes of play. In the second period, both teams exchanged baskets the entire stint with neither team holding the advantage for more than three minutes.
A traditional three-point play by Doyle at the 3:10 mark gave HU a slim three point lead, 41-38. A basket from behind the arc on the next play by FDU's Mariyah Laury tied the score. Two at the line from Alyssa Mayrose gave the Knights a 43-41 advantage. Doyle had the opportunity to tie the score at 43 all, but failed to connect on the first free-throw. FDU hit two more at the line for a 45-42 score. Doyle hit another pair within the last 10 seconds to end scoring for the 45-44 final.
For the Knights, Laury was the only player in double-figures with 11 points in 32 minutes of action. Esther Wallce pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds. Mayrose chipped in with eight points and nine boards.
The Lady Bison are back in action on Tues. Jan. 4 against Navy beginning at 7 p.m.