Greensboro Women Lose Lead in Loss to N.C. Wesleyan

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North Carolina Wesleyan (4-7, 3-1) rallied from a 16 point deficit to pull out a 60-57 victory over The Pride women's basketball team on Saturday afternoon.  Greensboro (6-4, 2-2) has now dropped two consecutive games following the holiday break.

One day after a sluggish start against Christopher Newport, The Pride wasted little time getting to work in this one.  Greensboro scored the first eight points of the game behind a four point effort by Bianca Richburg.

The Battling Bishops rallied to knot the score at 8-8 with 14:21 showing on the clock.  The game was tied again at 10-10 before The Pride went on a 7-0 spurt to grab a 17-10 lead.

North Carolina Wesleyan answered back with seven points of its own to even the game at 17-17.  A three by Chevena Pickard at the 6:37 point gave Greensboro the lead for good in the first frame.  Just four minutes later, The Pride held a commanding 32-21 advantage.

A special moment in the first half came with 2:51 left as Bianca Richburg recorded a block of a NeTaih Davis jumper to tie Danielle Duncan's career school record of 107.

Greensboro would score the final two baskets of the first half to head into the break holding a 37-23 lead.

After tying Duncan's block record in the first half, Richburg took over sole possession in the second, swatting a shot by Kourtney Salisbury for her 108th career block.

Unfortunately for the rest of The Pride, things went downhill after that.  

North Carolina Wesleyan rallied back from a 16-point deficit over the course of the first ten minutes of the second half, finally taking the lead at 47-46 with two free throws by Courtney Small with 9:28 to play. 

The visitors would grow the lead to 52-48 with 8:28 remaining.  The Pride stormed back though, going ahead 55-52 following a 7-0 run.

The score would go back-and-forth until Davis buried a bucket with 49 seconds left to put the Battling Bishops up 58-57.  Tiffany Bell would add two free throws and the North Carolina Wesleyan defense would put the clamps down in the stretch run to pull out the win.

Pickard recorded a game high 20 points for Greensboro, including nine free throws.  She polished off a double-double with ten rebounds.  Richburg continued her double-double streak, making it eight in row with 19 points and 13 rebounds.

Overall, The Pride shot 34.5% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc compared to 33.3% shooting for the Battling Bishops from the floor.  Greensboro held a commanding 50-34 advantage on the boards but committed 30 turnovers to 20 for North Carolina Wesleyan.

The Pride will look to rebound on Saturday, January 12 at Maryville.  Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.