Cobras Let One Slip Away

Hartsville, SC – Queens University of Charlotte only held the lead for .8 seconds Saturday afternoon at Coker but it proved to be the only lead that counted.  The Royals hit two foul shots with less than a second remaining t0 defeat the Cobras 83-81 in an extremely physical women’s basketball contest.  Queens improves to 9-14 overall and, more importantly, 7-10 in the CVAC.  Coker drops to 10-13 overall and 8-10 in the CVAC, leaving the door open for the Royals to catch them in the final week of the season. 

The game rarely had any flow as 60 fouls were called, continuously stopping play.  The Cobras made 31 trips to the foul line and Queens shot another 35.   

CC controlled the action from the tip off, jumping out to 14 point leads three times in the opening half.  The Royals would mount a comeback each time and at the end of the half, had narrowed the margin to 43-35. 

The second half started much the same as the first.  Coker pulled ahead by 19 points in the early stages but lethargy seemed to set in.  QU’s Lasha Fortson cought fire midway through the second half and scored 17 points as the Cobras watched their big lead slip away. 

Queens finally caught and passed Coker with 1:24 on the clock, on a pair of free throws by Sarah Newman.  Senior Lou Brunson was fouled on CC’s next possession but could only convert one of two free throws, leaving the game tied at 81-81.  On it’s final possession the Royals wound the clock down and it looked as if the Cobras defense might force overtime. 

Tiffany Adkins shot an off balanced jumper from just inside the three-point line with five seconds left but Carmen Waterman snuck under the basket and picked the ball out of a mid-air scramble. With .8 seconds remaining Waterman tossed a desperation shot up which never made it to the rim, but a foul was called on junior Selena Davis.  Waterman calmly towed the line and sunk both freebies despite noisy attempts to distract her by the Coker fans.  Coker’s inbounds pass was deflected and the game was over. 

The Cobras out-rebounded Queens 46-38 and held slight advantages in shooting from the field, behind the arc, and from the foul line. However, 25 turnovers, including 14 in the second period, deflated Coker’s attempts to put the game away and allowed the Royals back in the game.

Junior Shamae Hemingway led the Cobras with 19 points, 15 rebounds, and three blocks.  Classmate Davis added 17 points, and freshman Justina Dakins scored 13 before fouling out in only 18 minutes.  Junior Leanne Chandler contributed nine points and eight rebounds but back-to-back fouls, one on the defensive end and one on offense, disqualified her from the game with 10:26 to play.

Fortson finished with 23 points, six steals, four assists, and four rebounds in the contest.  Newman recorded 29 points and six rebounds, and Adkins finished with 15 points and six boards.

The Cobras will travel to Longwood University this Tuesday, February 25 for a 5:30 PM tip-off.