HARTSVILLE, S.C. - The Coker University women's basketball team defeated Lenoir-Rhyne Thursday night (Feb. 18) by a score of 63-57 for a key South Atlantic Conference victory.

The Cobras jumped out to a 15-5 lead through four minutes, before taking a 19-10 lead to the second quarter.

Lenoir-Rhyne would rally to tie the game at 21 with three minutes to play in the quarter, before the teams played to a 27-27 tie at the half.

Coker would start to take command of the game in the third quarter, out-scoring Lenoir-Rhyne 17-8 in the frame. After the Bears took brief one-point leads in the early minutes of the period, the Cobras would go on a run to end the quarter and take a 44-35 lead to the fourth quarter.

Coker extended its lead into double digits a minute and a half into the fourth, before the Bears would trim the lead back to five with six and a half minutes to play. Lenoir-Rhyne would continue to chip away at Coker's lead, trimming it to four with two and a half minutes to play. The Cobras were ultimately able to keep the Bears at a few possessions' distance until the final horn to secure the victory.

The Cobras shot 45.3 percent in the victory, aided by six three-pointers. Raya Coley paced the Cobras with 15 points, while Ahlea Myers added 11 points and Valicia Demeritte chipped in 10 points. Four other Cobras contributed to the scoring in the win. Demeritte posted a team and career-high nine rebounds, nearly completing the double-double. Seven other Cobras were active on the glass in the win. Myers and Coley each dished out a team-high three assists in the game, while five others helped on Coker buckets. Demeritte also paced the Cobras with three steals, while three others recorded steals in the game. Hope Richardson posted two blocks in the contest, while Haley McClure also had one block in the game.

The Cobras return to the hardwood on Saturday (Feb.20) to face Tusculum on Senior Day. Tip-off is set 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 - Raya Coley