COBRAS LOSE HEARTBREAKER ON THE ROAD TO WINGATE

 Wingate, NC - Falling just short of a great comeback win, the Cobras fall in a tight 64-63 battle to the Wingate Bulldogs

By The Numbers:

Final score: Wingate 64, Coker 63
Records: Coker 24-3 (20-3), Wingate 18-9 (17-6 SAC)
Location: Wingate, NC

Top Performers:

Shawnteanna Tillman: 21 points, 4 steals
Mya Wasswa: 12 points, 2 steals
Kristynn Knight: 10 points, 7 rebounds

How It Happened:

The Cobras started off this game well, with two threes by Tillman and a layup by Wasswa having the Cobras up 8-4 under three minutes into the contest. A made bucket by the Bulldogs put the score at 8-6, but a made three by Knight stretched this one to a five-point game. Later on in the quarter, the Cobras stretched it to six off a made three by Cayanna Stanley to take the game to a 14-6 lead. From that point, Wingate turned up the energy and got themselves back in this one. They ended the first on a 15-4 run and held the Cobras to just seven points in the second quarter to hold a 37-25 lead at the half.

The Cobras tried to chip away in the beginning of the third quarter, with Mariah Mitchem making a pair of free throws to put this game back to single digits at 39-31. Wingate reared its head and struck back, going on another run to hold a 50-34 lead with under three minutes to go in the third. From that point on, it was the Cobras' turn to turn on the jets. They brought it back to a twelve-point game by the end of the third and had the momentum. A made-three by Knight cut it to single digits for the first time in a while and suddenly the Cobras were back in this.

After some back-and-forth, the Cobras were down nine with just 4:13 remaining on the game clock. A pair of free throws by Tillman cut it to seven at 60-53, and, shortly after, she hit a big layup to make this a five-point contest. A Knight jump shot with 2:33 left in the game cut this to just a one-possession game and people were on the edge of their seats. Wasswa went to the line after getting fouled on a shot to make this a 60-59 game and the Cobras could truly taste it. After Wingate had a four-point lead, the Cobras tied it at 63-63 with under 30 seconds to go off a Wasswa lay-up, but a foul on the other end gave Wingate a free throw that sealed the deal at 64-63.

Notables:

• Tillman had yet another 20-point contest, scoring 21 in tonight's loss
• The Cobras were ranked as the second-best team in the region today behind only North Georgia
• The Cobras were shorthanded, being without Kamari Thompson and Dasia Ferguson due to various injuries to the two starters

Up Next:

The Cobras will travel to Carson Newman on Saturday for a 2:00 PM ET tip to round out the regular season!