DANVILLE, Va.—Greensboro College’s Lauren Livingston and Karli Mason each posted 20-point efforts a piece as the Pride claimed a Friday evening USA South Athletic Conference (USA South) victory over Averett University, 68-64.
The Pride (2-7, 2-7 USA South) jumped to a 7-4 lead 4:30 into the opening quarter on Lauren Livingston’s first field goal of the contest. Karli Mason scored her fifth point of the contest at the 4:11 mark of the period, maintaining the Pride’s three-point lead. Averett (4-7, 4-7 USA South) took the advantage at the 2:40 mark as part of an 8-0 run over the final 3:35 of the period as the Cougars closed the period with a five-point lead.
Averett extended the run to 10-0 in the first 1:08 of the second quarter as the Pride battled through the first 3:29 without a field goal. Mason’s eighth point broke the drought with 6:31 left on her second three-point field goal of the night. Mason connected on the next possession 41 seconds later on another three-point field goal to swing momentum back to the Pride. Mason sank yet another three-point basket 44 seconds later as the Pride cut the deficit to one point, 21-20. Averett’s Camryn Lunsford countered with a three-point field goal of her own to bring the Averett lead back to four points, 24-20, but momentum was on the Pride’s side. Greensboro closed out the final 3:15 of the period with a 12-0 run with nine of the 12 points from the run coming from Lauren Livingston. The Pride closed out the period with a 32-24 lead.
Averett opened the third quarter on a 7-0 run as they kept the Pride’s offense in check. Livingston put the Pride on the board in the quarter at the 5:33 mark when she converted on a three-point play to extend Greensboro’s lead back to four points. Averett tied the contest twice leading up to the 2:32 mark of the period where Destiny Timberlake (High Point, N.C./Andrews) scored her fourth point to extend the lead to five points. Greensboro extended the lead to seven with 58 seconds left on a Briana Milton jumper for her sixth point of the game.
Averett brought the Pride’s lead down to three points two minutes into the fourth quarter. Milton scored back-to-back baskets leading to the 7:23 mark, pushing the Pride’s lead back to seven points. Greensboro’s lead grew as large as eight points, but Averett mounted a comeback bid and shrunk the Pride’s lead down to one point with 4:51 remaining. A key Iness Knox layup with 2:23 left in the quarter pumped the lead back to five points, 59-54. Averett cut the lead back down to two points with 59 seconds remaining, but Knox made another clutch layup with 34 seconds remaining as the Pride clung to the win.
The Pride shot 45.7 percent from the field including nine-for-20 (45 percent) from three-point range. The Cougars shot 36.1 percent from the field, shooting only four-for-21 (19 percent) from the perimeter.
The Cougars out-rebounded the Pride, 38-31, and held a 17-1 edge in second-chance points.
Livingston’s 20 points came on five-for-12 shooting. She added seven rebounds and a career-high eight assists. Mason came off the bench to lead all scorers with 21 points on seven-for-16 shooting while adding four steals. Milton finished with 13 points on four-for-eight shooting and six rebounds.
Genesis Weiters led Averett with a double-double 18 points and ten rebounds with four blocks. Lunsford added 13 points.
The Pride and the Cougars finish their USA South home-and-home series Sunday at 4 p.m. inside Greensboro’s Hanes Gym.
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Courtesy of Bryan Jones, Greensboro College Sports Information Director