Lady Falcons Topple ECSU 57-48 In CIAA Tourney First-Round Game

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  -- Sophomore guard Jeanne-Marie Wilson (Temple Hills, MD) scored 12 points and senior forward Victoria Davis (San Diego, CA) added 11 points as Saint Augustine's University spurted away late for a 57-48 women's first-round basketball victory over Elizabeth City State University in the CIAA Tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena on Saturday, February 25, 2014.

The Lady Falcons, seed No. 4 in the Southern Division, advance to the quarterfinal round on Wednesday, February 26, where they will face nationally-ranked Virginia State University, the top seed out of the Northern Division. Game time is 5 p.m.

Sophomore forward Terri Jacobs (McDonough, GA) added eight points and five rebounds and freshman forward Kaleisha Moore (Kinston, NC) had eight points and six rebounds for the Lady Falcons (13-13 overall). Sophomore guard Porscha Walton (Chesterfield, VA) chipped in seven points and sophomore guard Regime McCombs (Greenville, SC) had five points. DaShera Boone scored 10 points for the Lady Vikings (7-19 overall).

Davis and Walton led a strong defensive effort against the Lady Vikings. Davis, named the Food Lion MVP for the Lady Falcons, finished with a game-high five steals and Walton added three steals for the Lady Falcons, who finished with 10 overall. The duo sparked a dynamic full-court press which forced 24 Lady Viking turnovers leading to 16 points for the Lady Falcons.

"Our defense fuels our offense," St. Aug Head Coach Rachel Bullard said. "When our defense is clicking, we are good to go."

Their defense helped the Lady Falcons take over the contest after the Lady Vikings led 39-35 with 13:23 remaining. The Lady Falcons outscored the Lady Vikings 22-9 the rest of the way. Davis had nine points and three steals and Wilson added eight points in the second half for the Lady Falcons, who scored 12 points off 13 ECSU turnovers in the second half.

"I'm not ready to go home yet," said Davis about her stellar second-half performance. "I've been here [CIAA Tournament] twice and this is my last opportunity to come out on top."

Led by six points from Moore and five from Walton, the Lady Falcons led 25-19 at halftime. They ended the half on an 8-2 run to break a 17-17 tie. The Lady Vikings opened the second half with a 20-10 run for a four-point lead before the Lady Falcons snatched control.

The Lady Falcons will face a Virginia State squad which is ranked 13th in the nation in the latest USA Today/Coaches Rankings. However, the Lady Falcons nearly stunned the Lady Trojans in their only regular season meeting on February 5. The Lady Falcons fell 69-68 at home after holding a six-point lead with five minutes left.

"We've been under pressure situations this season," Bullard said. "If we give a little more effort on offense and defense, we will be OK."

Box Score

COURTESY SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION