PETERSBURG, VA — The Bowie State women's basketball team came up short in the Black College Invitational Championship (BCIC) title game Saturday, falling to Benedict College, 66-62, at the VSU Multipurpose Center.
The Bulldogs forced 30 turnovers and recorded 18 steals but could not overcome a second-half deficit against the Tigers.
Bowie State set the tone early in a tightly contested first quarter.
Chaniya Taylor opened the scoring at the free-throw line, while
Kristin Sterling anchored the defense with three blocks. The Bulldogs led 14-13 at the end of the period behind a layup from
Sydney Anthony and a late free throw from
Taylor Timms.
In the second quarter, BSU briefly moved in front, 23-21, following a tip-in and free throw by Sterling. BC responded with a late run to take a 40-31 lead into halftime.
The Tigers extended their advantage in the third quarter, capitalizing on 10 Bowie State turnovers in the period to push the margin to 55-43 entering the fourth.
BSU mounted a rally in the final quarter.
Mia Smith knocked down two early 3-pointers, both assisted by Anthony, and added a three-point play to cut into the deficit. The Bulldogs continued to apply defensive pressure and trimmed the lead, but Benedict answered in the closing minutes to secure the title.
Top Performers
Mia Smith
- 19 points
- 5 for 6 from the free-throw line
- 2 steals
Kristin Sterling
- 8 rebounds
- 2 blocks
- 3 steals
Jada Bouknight
- 8 points
- 4 for 4 from the free-throw line
- 2 blocks
Mayah Garner
- 8 points
- 2 blocks
- 2 steals
For the latest information on Bowie State Athletics and its 14 varsity sports, visit bsubulldogs.com.
