RALEIGH, NC – Shaw University used a 17-2 run to close the third quarter and claim a 71-63 win over Francis Marion University, Wednesday afternoon (Jan. 1) in non-conference women's basketball action.
 
Francis Marion, first among the other school's receiving votes in this week's WBCA Top 25 poll, drops to 9-2 and sees its nine-game winning streak end. The Patriots will return to Conference Carolinas play on Saturday with a 2 p.m. road contest at Southern Wesleyan University.
 
Senior guard Jada Richards led FMU with 15 points, while junior Trinity Adams registered 11 points and eight rebounds and freshman point guard Kiara Croskey added 11 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.  Sophomore center Trinity Delaney chipped in seven points and hauled down a team-high 10 rebounds.
 
D'Ayzha Akinson paced Shaw (5-8) with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
 
The Bears forged an early 7-5 lead, but FMU answered with five straight points to lead 12-7, following a three-point play by senior forward Kiana Lee.  The Patriots held a narrow 16-15 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
 
Shaw scored the first five points of the second period to go up 20-16.  The margin later grew to 24-19, but a pair of jump shots by Croskey and a free throw by senior guard Kennedi Simmons knotted the score at 24-24 with 3:21 left before halftime. 
 
Shaw held three-point leads at 27-24 and 29-26 before Adams tied the contest at 29-29 with a three-pointer from the right elbow.  That would be the score as both teams retired to their respective locker rooms at intermission.
 
A three-pointer by Richards and two free throws by Simmons put FMU up 35-32 early in the third quarter.  The Bears responded with an 8-2 spurt that gave Shaw a 40-37 advantage. 
 
Richards knocked down a three-pointer to tie the game at 40-40 with 5:07 remaining in the period.  Shaw then scored 17 of the quarter's final 19 points to claim a 57-42 margin heading to the final quarter.
 
Lay-ins by Delaney and Richards, a jumper by Croskey, and an inside hoop by Adams accounted for an 8-2 Patriot run that trimmed the lead to 64-58 with 2:29 left.  Delaney then scored on a lay-up with 1:02 remaining that cut the deficit to 64-60.  She was also  fouled on the play, but missed the free throw, which was rebounded by FMU, but Richards missed a three-pointer.  The Bears made 7-of-8 free throws over the final 53 seconds to seal the win.
 
Francis Marion shot 31.6 percent from the floor and made 7-of-19 free throws, while Shaw connected on 40.3 percent of their field goal attempts and was 15-of-25 at the foul line.