The Lady Trojans tied their season-high with 31 turnovers in a double-overtime loss to the Lady Rams of Winston-Salem State, 71-69 in their CIAA conference opener on Thursday, Jan. 5. Senior guard Marquilla Evans led Virginia State with 20 points and junior forward Quiana Kizer added 9 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.
The CIAA conference opener for both squads crept off to a offensive struggle between the two teams. The Lady Trojans led for majority of the first half but surrendered a seven point to the Lady Rams with 2:05 remaining in the first half. With seven seconds left in the half the Lady Trojans took a 24-22 lead on a junior guard Brianna Holt's layup. Virginia State's defense held Winston-Salem State's offense to a miserable 16 percent shooting from the field in the first half.
The two teams exchanged leads throughout the second half. Junior guard Ashley Whitaker nailed a jumper to put the Lady Trojans ahead, 55-53 with twelve seconds to go. The Lady Rams responded and sent the game into overtime on an offensive rebound and put back score by LaQuanda Williams.
VSU's Marquilla Evans went 4 for 4 from the free-throw line in the first overtime session. WSSU scored the final points of the first overtime session knotting the game at 61-61 with 1:22. Neither team will score again sending the game into another session.
In the second overtime both teams were neck and neck with each other on the defensive end of the floor. In the ticking moments of the second overtime period, Evans made two key layups to pull Virginia State within one point of Winston-Salem State. With less than ten seconds to play in the period Winston-Salem State's Jasmine Newkirk made one of two free-throws, increasing the Lady Rams lead to 71-69. The Lady Trojans turned the ball over with two seconds remaining and the double-overtime thriller ends in disappointment with a close two point loss.
After a great defensive effort in the first half by the Lady Trojans, they allowed the Lady Rams to shoot 41-percent from the field the rest of the game. The Lady Trojans turned the ball over 31 times and the Lady Rams capitalized scoring 21 points off of those turnovers.
The Lady Trojans received a strong night out of two starters, junior forward Quiana Kizer and sophomore forward LaMesha Deal, both combined for 19 points and 25 rebounds (9 offensive). Marquilla Evans led the Lady Trojans' scoring with a team-high 20 points. She also recorded 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal. Junior forward Kiara Walton made her presents felt coming off the bench contributing with 7 points, 6 rebounds (3 offensive), 2 assists, and 2 steals.
Virginia State's next game is against the Lady Bears of Shaw University in Raleigh, NC on Saturday, Jan. 7 at 2:00 pm. The Lady Trojans won in overtime over the Lady Bears 74-68 in Ettrick, VA last season.
