Box Score
SALISBURY, NC – The Livingstone women's basketball team had five players score in double figures Wednesday as the Blue Bears downed cross-town rival Catawba College 101-88.
With the victory the Blue Bears improved to 4-1 on the season while Catawba fell to 4-4.
Senior forward Cassaundra Rhodes recorded her first double-double of the season as she finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Junior guard Rashida Elbourne finished with 22 points while sophomore guard Kelcyn Manurs had 17 points including hitting 3-of-4 from the three-point line. Senior Brittany Wright recorded 16 points and junior Elicia Gilliam-Washington had 10 points and six boards.
Livingstone jumped out to a quick 6-2 lead over the Indians, but Catawba battled back to tie the game at 8-8 with 16:43 left in the first half. The Blue Bears then went on a 9-1 run to grab a 17-9 lead with 13:41 on the clock. Livingstone continued to put pressure on the Indians and extended its lead to as much as 17 points in the first half with 8:25 left.
As halftime approached the Indians slowly cut into the Livingstone lead. With 6:13 left in the half the Blue Bear lead was down to nine points. In the final minute of the half Catawba converted six free-throw attempts to take the Livingstone lead down to seven points at 50-43.
To start the second half, Catawba came out battling, trying to cut into the Livingstone lead and was able to do so in the first five minutes. The Blue Bear lead was down to four at 58-54 with 15:33 left in the contest. Catawba got as close as one point at 60-59 with 14:17 left in the game.
After leading by only one, the Blue Bears went on a 10-2 run to open a nine-point advantage with 10:47 left in the second half. With just under eight minutes left, Livingstone had regained a double-digit edge over the Indians at 83-67. Catawba was able to get the Livingstone lead under 10 points only briefly in the final minutes of the contest as the Blue Bears downed the Indians 101-88.
The Blue Bears shot 44.9 percent from the field including 46.2 percent from beyond the three-point arc and 78.9 percent from the charity stripe. Livingstone won the rebounding battled 54-38 and committed only 14 turnovers while dishing out 23 assists.
Livingstone will head back onto the road this weekend as it travels to Wilberforce, Ohio to participate in the Central State University Classic. The Blue Bears will take on Central State Friday at 5 p.m. and Kentucky Wesleyan on Saturday at noon.
