BALTIMORE (Feb. 22) – Natalia Leaks scored 20 points as the No. 11 seed Virginia State women downed No. 6 seed Shaw 62-38 in the first round of the CIAA Tournament at Royal Farms Arena on Tuesday.
 

Kaaliya Williams added 13 points and Shayla Sweeney scored 12 points for the Trojans, whose defensive pressure was too much for the Lady Bears.
 

Shaw shot 20 percent from the floor and were forced into 23 turnovers. The Trojans took advantage of the miscues as they outscored the Lady Bears 22-0 in turnover points.
 

Both teams struggled to score in the first half. The Trojans led 7-5 after the first period and 18-11 at halftime. VSU heated up in the fourth period to pull away from the Lady Bears.
 

Shooting 46 percent in the fourth period, the Trojans outscored the Lady Bears 25-14. Their lead ballooned to 27 points late in the game.
 

Makenzie Pollard paced the Lady Bears with 12 points. Tanayja London collected 10 rebounds.

Next Up
The Trojans (11-16 overall) advanced to the quarterfinal round where they will play No. 3 seed Bowie State on Wednesday at 2 p.m. The Lady Bears' season ended at 11-14 overall.