Women's Basketball Falls to Tusculum in Conference Action Saturday

HARTSVILLE, S.C. - The Coker University women's basketball team fell in South Atlantic Conference action to visiting Tusculum on Saturday (Jan. 11) by a score of 75-63.

The teams played to an early 8-8 tie, before Tusculum would go on a run to take a 24-8 lead into the final two minutes. Tusculum scored the majority of the final points in the first quarter to take 29-14 lead to the second.

The second quarter was a low-scoring frame, with each team only netting nine points. Tusculum led 38-23 at the half.

 Coker would chip away at the deficit by winning the third quarter 20-16, but the Pioneers took an 11-point lead to the final 10 minutes. The Pioneers built their lead to 14 early in the third, before the Cobras would battle back to get within nine with less than six minutes to play in the quarter. The Cobras would get as close as seven in the frame, before Tusculum would re-build its lead headed to the fourth.

The teams played a high-scoring fourth quarter, with Tusculum winning the frame 21-20. The Cobras would battle the deficit back down to 10 in in the final three minutes, before a three-point play from Shay Jackson got the Cobras back within seven a 65-58. Tusculum would go on to ice the game at the free throw line.

Jackson led the Cobras with a team-high 14 points, while tying a school record shooting a perfect 6-6 from the foul line. The last perfect performance from the charity stripe came on Jan. 30, 2016 when Kendra Lambert posted a 7-7 day at Brevard. Janell Horton also scored 13 points, while Hope Richardson added 11. Four other Cobras contributed points in the contest. Richardson completed the double-double with a game-high 12 boards, while five other Cobras were active on the glass in the game. Richardson also dished out a team-high three assists, while four other Cobras helped on buckets in the game. Erin Houser recorded a team-high three steals, while three other Cobras each had one in the game. Houser posted two of Coker's three blocks on the night, with the other rejection coming from Richardson 

The Cobras are back in action on Wednesday (Jan. 15) at Anderson (S.C.) for a South Atlantic Conference contest. Tip-off for that game is set for 5:30 p.m., with video and live stats available at www.cokercobras.com.

 McDonald's Player of the Game - Hope Richardson