CAU Lady Panthers Suffer Tough Loss in NCAA Tourney

Fort Lauderdale, Florida — The inside duo of La’Quisha Lewis and Erika Sumpter was dominate, but it was not enough as the No. 8 Lady Panthers of Clark Atlanta University were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA South Region Tournament after an 87-60 loss to the top-seeded Sharks of Nova Southeastern University at the Don Taft Arena in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Friday.

“We relied on our two bigs inside and they have done a tremendous job for us this year,” said CAU Head Coach Vanessa Moore. "But we needed a team effort tonight and things didn't turn out the way we wanted."

In the first half, the Sharks (21-8) stormed to a 20-point lead behind the play of Meixandra Porter who recorded 16 of her 19 total points in the first period. Carrying the load for CAU, Sumpter and Lewis scored a combined 20 of the team’s 28 first half points.

The shark attack continued in the second half as Nova pushed its lead to 39 at the 9:18 mark on the way to the next round. The Sharks outrebounded Clark Atlanta 52 to 38 while shooting 46 percent from the field. The Lady Panthers shot 36 percent (24-for-68) from the field and 73 percent at the line.

Lewis led CAU with 15 points, eight rebounds and two blocks followed by Sumpter who chipped in 13 points, seven rebounds and one block and Denissea Law who added nine points. The Sharks held Clark Atlanta’s leading scorer, Conisha Hicks, scoreless in 27 minutes of play.

“Despite tonight’s outcome, I am extremely proud of my team and we will use this as a stepping stone for next year,” Moore added.

The Lady Panthers advanced to the regional tournament after winning the 2013 SIAC women’s basketball championship over Benedict and finished the season with an 19-11 overall record. 

COURTESY CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION