ROCK HILL, S.C. – The Presbyterian College women's basketball team led for 31:54 of its Saturday afternoon road game at Winthrop on Saturday, but the host Eagles pulled away in the closing minutes for a 54-51 win at Winthrop Coliseum.
The game stood tied at 46-46 in the game's final media timeout, but Aliyah Kilpatrick broke the deadlock by hitting an off-balance prayer in the lane for a 48-46 Winthrop lead with 2:06 to go.
PC looked to have the ball back on an expired shot clock, but video review gave the Eagles possession with 1:04 to go and a fresh shot clock. Kilpatrick then added to the lead with a jumper in the lane for a 50-46 edge, the Eagles' largest lead of the day.
Cortney Storey (Fayetteville, Tenn.) answered by burying a trey at the top of the key to cut the lead to one point with 24 seconds left and PC called its final timeout. Erica Williams hit two free throws on an ensuing foul and Janie Miles (Clemson, S.C.) answered with a layup at the five-second mark, but two more Williams foul shots but the game away with two seconds to go.
The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for PC. Both teams move to 10-9 overall. PC moves to 5-5 in the Big South and Winthrop improves to 6-4. The Blue Hose return home to host Campbell on Tuesday at 7 p.m. and Winthrop plays at Longwood on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Keyonna Allen led PC with 12 points, 10 of which came in the second half. The redshirt junior scored six of PC's points in a row in the second half as the Blue Hose stayed ahead of the Eagles for much of the frame. Allie Wagner (Easley, S.C.) made her second career start and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. Aianna Kelly matched a season-high with five assists.
Winthrop's Schaquilla Nunn led all players with 15 points and 14 rebounds.
The Blue Hose limited Winthrop to 36.0 percent shooting (18-for-50) and shot only six free throws to Winthrop's 21 (of which they made 16). The Eagles outrebounded PC 21-10 in the second half en route to the win.
PC took an early run to start the game and stayed ahead of a scrappy Winthrop team throughout the first half. The Blue Hose broke off a 9-2 run from the opening tip behind four points from Elizabeth Landers (Greenville, S.C.) and a defensive effort that held the Eagles scoreless for the first 4:56. Winthrop chipped away at PC's lead but the Blue Hose outrebounded the hosts 18-17 thanks in part to Allie Wagner's six rebounds in the first half.
Winthrop pulled ahead for its first lead on two Erica Williams free throws midway through the half for an 11-10 edge. Cortney Storey scored two of her five points to put PC back on top and Blue Hose post players Wagner and Keyonna Allen helped keep PC in front.
The Blue Hose went long for their last three field goals before halftime, getting two treys from Jameka Braden (Shelbyville, Tenn.) and another from Kaycie Reffner (Altoona, Pa.). The Eagles tied the game at 23-23 with 91 seconds to go before Braden buried a long-range shot at the 29 second mark for a 26-23 halftime lead.
PC held Winthrop to 33.3 percent shooting in the first half and received 13 points from its bench to the Eagles' seven.
Nunn scored Winthrop's first six points of the half but PC kept the Eagles at bay for much of the period. A Landers bucket gave PC a seven-point edge early on but Winthrop pulled ahead midway through the half on a pair of Williams free throws.
PC widened the gap to seven with 6:07 to go, but six straight Eagle points pulled Winthrop within one and set the stage for Winthrop to steal the win.
