COLLEGE PARK, Maryland -- The Wofford College women's basketball team was defeated by Howard University, 63-55, in the consolation game of the Terrapin Classic on Sunday from Maryland's Comcast Center.
The Terriers (2-10) were hurt most by 24 turnovers while Howard (4-8) took care of the basketball with just 13. It helped the Lady Bison put up 14 more shots and use a 9-0 run to take a 46-33 lead midway through the second period. The Terriers got back within six with a minute to play, but could not close the gap any further and suffered its sixth straight defeat.
For Wofford, sophomore Ashton Fleming recorded her first collegiate double-double. Fleming posted career-highs in both points and rebounds, putting down 10 points and collecting 14 boards. She shot 4-of-5 from the field and filled up the stat sheet with two steals, one block and one assist.
Classmate Jordan Frazier tied Fleming's team-high 10 points, marking her ninth double-figure scoring game of the season. Frazier scored 19 against Maryland on Saturday and was named to the Terrapin Classic All-Tournament Team following the conclusion of the championship game between the Terps and College of Charleston. Khadijah Joyner, another sophomore, grabbed a career-high eight rebounds, seven of which came in the second half, and posted her fourth multi-block game of the year.
Howard's Te'Shya Heslip scored a game-high 16 points, also recording eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals. Cheyenne Brown scored in double figures with 12 points on 6-of-12 shooting and grabbed five boards. Shavonne Duckett had a team-high nine rebounds.
Brown came out ready for the early 11 a.m., tip and scored on each of Howard's first two possessions. A few minutes later, she downed her sixth point to get the Lady Bison off to an 11-2 start and force an early Terrier timeout. Rebounding was hurting Wofford early on, as well as not being able to get a few open jumpers to fall.
Down 13-5, Wofford scored the next five points to make it a one possession game. Redshirt senior Erin Frost got fouled on a drive to the basket and made both free throws, and sophomore Chanel Stokes went 1-of-2 from the line on Wofford's next trip down the floor. Out of a media timeout, freshman Kentra Washington hit a layup to get the score to 13-10.
Frost went on to score Wofford's next five points, hitting a jumper and a 3-pointer to cut the gap to two, 17-15. Meanwhile, Howard was having trouble from the field, unable to sink a basket for nearly seven minutes.
Howard ended the drought and with the two sides trading points, the Terriers remained behind by one to two possessions. Buckets by senior Logan Morris and junior Lauren Kirby brought the Terriers within just one point, 22-21, at the 4:06 mark.
Howard scored six of the half's last seven points to get some breathing room heading into the break. Wofford trailed 24-22 with less than a minute to play, but Brown sank a layup, followed by a jumper with 10 seconds on the clock to give the Lady Bison a 28-22 halftime lead.
At the half, Wofford was shooting 28.6 percent (8-28 FG) while Howard was at 36.4 percent (12-33 FG). The Lady Bison held a 26-20 rebounding edge and were sharing the ball well with seven assists on their 12 baskets. Brown led the game with 12 points (6-8 FG), while Frost headed Wofford with 7 points (2-5 FG, 1-2 3FG, 2-2 FT).
Wofford head coach Edgar Farmer went with a bigger lineup to begin the second half, starting 6-foot-2 Joyner in favor of 5-foot-2 Frazier. Kirby scored 14 seconds into the half and with a made free throw from Fleming the Terriers were within a basket, 29-27.
It remained a one possession game until Imani Bailey, Victoria Gonzalez and Heslip scored the next six points to put Howard up eight. Wofford cut it to four on buckets from Frazier and Morris, but Howard responded with the game's biggest run, scoring nine consecutive points and burning another Wofford timeout with 11:45 to play ahead 46-33.
Kirby, Morris and Fleming got the margin to seven with a made field goal apiece, but Heslip killed the momentum with a trey to get her team back ahead by double digits. Joyner and Fleming were doing a good job on the glass to make sure Howard didn't get second and third chances, but the Terriers hurt themselves by going 1-of-2 from the free throw line on three consecutive trips. Instead of a four-point game, the missed attempts kept Howard ahead by seven, 51-44. Two Lady Bison baskets later, Wofford trailed by 11 with less than four minutes remaining.
The Terriers gave it one final push. Down by 10, Washington got to the line for a pair of free throws and sank both. Fleming stole the ensuing in-bounds pass and hit a quick layup, making it a six-point game, 57-51, with 1:05 showing on the clock.
It was not to be. Howard hit its free throws and after Wofford got the margin back to six, Cabria Johnson found Heslip wide open down court on an in-bounds pass. Heslip sank an easy layup to leave the game out of reach.
The Wofford women's basketball team returns home for the first time in a month on Saturday, welcoming Western Carolina to Benjamin Johnson Arena. Tip is scheduled for 2 p.m., and is part of a Wofford basketball doubleheader. The men's team takes on Davidson that evening at 7 p.m.
Terrier Notes
- Ashton Fleming recorded her first collegiate double-double, setting career-highs of 10 points and 14 rebounds
- Jordan Frazier scored 10 points, marking her ninth double-figure scoring game of the season
- Frazier was named to the Terrapin Classic All-Tournament Team.
- Khadijah Joyner marked her fourth multi-block game of the year and grabbed a career-high eight rebounds, seven of which came in the second half
- The matchup was the consolation game of the Terrapin Classic
- It was the first ever series meeting between Wofford and Howard
Box Score
COURTESY WOFFORD UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
.gif)
