Murfreesboro, N.C. – In what was a game of runs, the King University women's basketball team made the timely run to defeat Chowan University on Friday night.
Trinity Lee drilled a triple to send the game to overtime and started the extra session with a triple to give King a lead they did not relinquish. The Tornado took the Conference Carolinas road win 76-71 in overtime.
THE BASICS
FINAL: King 76, Chowan 71 (F/OT)
LOCATION: Hawks Center; Murfreesboro, N.C.
RECORDS: King 6-5, 5-5 Conference Carolinas; Chowan 4-6, 4-6 Conference Carolinas
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Period
- Kiki Samsel started out hot for the Tornado drilling the first triple of the game as she went 5-for-5 from long range in the opening 20 minutes.
- Samsel's third triple of the quarter gave King a 13-5 lead midway through the opening period.
- Chowan scored nine straight points to take a lead that was short-lived as Ali Golden made a pair of free throws in the final minute to give King a 15-14 lead going to the second period.
Second Period
- Chowan opened up a 26-22 lead with an 8-2 run with 6:33 remaining in the period when the Tornado went on a run.
- King held Chowan scoreless for the remainder of the quarter, and scored 14 points on the offensive end.
- Samsel and Trinity Lee connected on back-to-back attempts from long range before layups from Lee and Golden gave King a 36-26 lead at the break.
- King shot 50.0 percent from the floor and 60.0 percent from three-point range in the first half.
Third Period
- The Tornado scored the first eight points of the third quarter, making the run 22-0 in total to take a 44-26 lead midway through the third period.
- However, the Hawks started to work their way back gradually, starting with a 10-2 spurt to pull within 10.
- Chowan then scored five of the final seven points in the quarter, but the Tornado led 50-41 going to the fourth period.
Fourth Period
- Chowan cut the King lead to 51-45 early in the period, but the Tornado came back with consecutive baskets from Golden and Julie Ford to stretch the lead back to 10 points.
- Late in the period, the Hawks used a 12-3 run, including back-to-back three-point baskets and a layup to pull within 60-59 with 1:33 remaining.
- Chowan took the lead with a layup with 51 seconds remaining, and another basket with 10 seconds remaining gave the Hawks a 63-60 advantage.
- In all, the Hawks went on a 16-3 run, including nine straight, but Lee ended that run when she connected from long range with six seconds.
- The Hawks couldn't get a shot off, sending the game to overtime.
Overtime
- Following a Chowan basket, Lee started the extra session with a triple, putting the Tornado back ahead, 66-65.
- A pair of free throws and another Lee trifecta gave King a 70-65 lead in the final two minutes.
- The Tornado lead was cut to 72-71, but Golden and Ford made two free throws each to ice the 76-71 victory.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Samsel led the Tornado with 23 points.
- Lee followed with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
- Golden added 14 points, four rebounds and four assists.
- Ford chipped in with seven points and nine rebounds.
FOR THE FOES
- Demetria Bland and Monique Jones led Chowan with 19 points apiece with Jones grabbing nine rebounds.
- Destiny Robinson followed with 16 points to go along with a game-high 19 rebounds and six blocks.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Samsel scored a career-high 23 points, topping her previous best of 20 points. She also matched the NCAA Division II-era record for three-point baskets in a game with seven. That marks the third time that mark has been reached.
- The double-double for Lee marks her second of the season as she matched a career-best with 11 rebounds.
UP NEXT
- The teams square off again on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.
