HARTSVILLE, S.C. - The Coker University women's basketball team notched its first win of the 2020-21 season on Thursday (Dec. 10), defeating Queens (N.C.) 66-62. This was also the first win for head coach Melissa DeVore.
The Royals jumped out to a 9-2 lead through the first four minutes, before the Cobras would get back within two on an Ahlea Myers layup with just under three minutes to play in the quarter. After the Royals re-gained a four-point lead, Je'Nya Wilder would score the next four points to tie the game at 13. Queens would score the final bucket of the opening frame with 25 seconds left to take at 15-13 lead after 10 minutes.
Queens would add one point to its lead to start the second quarter, before Abigail Keesling opened the scoring for Coker in the frame with a three-pointer to tie the game at 16 a minute and a half in. Queens carried a five-point lead past the halfway point of the quarter, before layups from Saquita Joyner and Raya Coley would get the Cobras back within one with two and a half minutes to play in the half. A bucket from Joyner with 1:07 left in the half would give the Cobras a brief lead, before a Queens three-pointer would serve as the final score of the half to send the teams to the locker room with Queens ahead 30-28.
The Royals would extend their lead to six in the first three and a half minutes of the third quarter, before a pair of free throws from Ashauntee Nelson and a score from Joyner got the Cobras back within two halfway through the frame. The Royals would re-gain their multi-possession lead in the final three minutes, before a layup from Wilder would get the Cobras back within one with just over a minute to play in the period. The Royals would end up taking a 45-42 lead to the fourth quarter.
A bucket from Hope Richardson and another three-pointer from Keesling gave the Cobras the lead just two minutes into the fourth, before another Richardson bucket put the Cobras up by four and forced a Queens timeout two and a half minutes in. The Cobras would hold a 49-48 lead four minutes in, before a triple from Valicia Demeritte put the Cobras ahead by four. The Cobras held a 52-50 lead as the halfway point of the quarter came and went, before Queens tied the game at 52 with under four minutes to play. Coley scored a layup with just under three and a half minutes to play, and the Cobras would hold the 54-52 lead into the final minute. The Cobras were able to hold off the Royals rally in the final minute, icing the game from the charity stripe for their first victory of the season.
The Cobras shot 36.9 percent (24-65) from the floor in the win, adding six three-pointers in the effort. Joyner led the Cobras with 10 points, while eight other Cobras chipped in points in the victory. Coker out-rebounded Queens 38-37 in the win, led by a team-high eight boards from Joyner. Eight other Cobras were active on the glass in the victory. Myers dished out a team-high four assists in the win, while Emily Davis and Coley each added two assists on the day. Three other Cobras helped on buckets in the game. Nelson yet again paced the team in steals on the afternoon with four, while four others recorded steals in the win. Nelson also had two of Coker's four blocks, while Joyner and Myers also posted rejections.
The Cobras are back in action on Sunday (Dec. 13) against Newberry in South Atlantic Conference action. Tip-off is slated for 2:00 p.m. from the DeLoach Center, with video and live stats available at www.cokercobras.com.
Coker University will continue to assess the NCAA, federal, state and local developments and provide updated revisions as additional information is available.
McDonald's Player of the Game - Saquita Joyner