BRISTOL, TENN.- Converse battled back from a first half hole down 31-17 to bring the game within one possession but King pulls out the 51-38 victory in Conference Carolinas action on Saturday afternoon. Converse (2-15, 1-13 CC) never gave up against a strong King squad that picked up its 16th win of the season improving to 16-4 overall and 11-4 in league play.
"I am very happy about their effort and focus in the second half," said head coach Beth Couture. "I thought we competed against a very good team and paid attention to the adjustments in the second half."
The Valkyries came out with a balanced attack having six of the nine players score. Converse was led by Jakyra Washington (Durham, N.C.) and Margo Dill (Hilton Head, S.C.) scoring eight points each. Erin Horne (Orlando, Fla.) scored seven points to go with six rebounds. Logan Hollis (Spartanburg, S.C.) hauled in nine boards and six points. Ashley Salgado (Ottumwa, Iowa) and Christhea Mitchell (Jacksonboro, S.C.) finished with five points and four points respectively.
Converse faced a 30-17 deficit heading into the locker room but came out of the break on a 15-4 run to make it a one possession game at 32-34 with 7:39 remaining. Dill started the run with back-to-back baskets. King would get a lay-up early but Hollis countered with a lay-up herself.
The Valkyrie defense would pick things up getting a block by Horne and caused King to use two timeouts after getting the ball tied up and not able to get the in-bounds pass in. Salgado and Washington scored in successive trips down the floor.
Converse and King would go scoreless over the next 4:20 before King would lay it in with 9:17 remaining. Washington would counter with a short jumper followed by a Horne lay-up to make it a one possession game at 32-34 with 7:39 remaining.
King stopped the Valkyrie run with a triple and a short jumper to push the game to 39-32 in favor of King. Converse would battle back and chip away again with a jumper by Mitchell and Salgado cutting the King lead down to 40-36 with just under five minutes to go.
The Tornado would finish the game on an 11-2 run to take the game 53-38.
Converse out-shot King 37% to 27.3% in the second half but the Valkyries shot 24.1% in the first half. Converse hit only one three in the contest going 1-11 (9.1%) from behind the arc. King hit four triples.
Converse returns home Tuesday, February 3 at 7pm against nationally ranked Limestone.