FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Converse College basketball team concluded the 2019 McKinley Bank North Star Invitational with an 81-63 loss to Chadron St. on Saturday evening.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Converse 63, Chadron St 81
Records: Converse (1-8), Chadron St. (2-7)
Location: Alaska Airlines Court, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
- Junior guard Ashley Sides led the Valkyries with 13 points after knocking down three shots from deep.
- Freshman guard Lindsey Hardin had her most productive game for Converse, chipping in 10 points.
- Ellen Nardella scored nine points, while Bhrianna Jackson and Lindsey Rogers pitched in seven each. Jackson narrowly missed a triple-double, adding seven assists and seven rebounds on the evening.
- Converse shot 21-of-63 (33.3%) from the floor, including knocking down eight shots from downtown.
- Chadron St. pulled down 43 rebounds to Converse's 38.
- The Valkyries had season-low nine turnovers.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
Nardella knocked down a three-pointer at the 8:49 mark of the opening quarter, giving Converse the 3-0 lead. Chadron St. came storming back with five in a row to claim its first lead of the game, 5-3. Sides tallied a three and Shakori Jennings-Shuler posted two points from the charity stripe to push the Purple and Gold back ahead 10-8 midway through the first.
However, the Eagles bounced right back with seven in a row to establish a 15-10 advantage. That lead grew to 24-16 at the end of one.
Second Quarter
Chadron St. continued to balloon its lead, ripping off a run of 10-2 to open the second, racing in front 34-18. After the two teams traded several baskets, CSU tallied the final six points of the half to take a 45-26 lead into the locker room.
Third Quarter
The Eagles opened the second half with seven-of-nine, building a comfortable 52-28 lead with 7:17 on the clock. However, Rogers knocked down two in a row from the free throw line, sparking a massive 15-0 run for Converse, closing the gap to single digits (52-43) with a little over two minutes remaining in the third.
Chadron St. outscored Converse 7-4 down the stretch, taking a 59-47 lead into the final frame. Converse was able to outscore the Eagles 21-14 in the third.
Fourth Quarter
Five straight to start the fourth cushioned the lead for CSU back to 17 (64-47) before a Hardin layup put Converse on the board in the quarter. However, eight of the next 13 points belonged to Chadron St., giving the Eagles a 72-52 lead.
Converse had one last effort in it, using an 11-2 burst to trim the deficit to 74-63 with just over two minutes left in regulation. Unfortunately, that was as close as the score would get with Chadron St. taking the final seven points, capturing the 81-63 win.
NOTE: Upon completion of the tournament, Alexis McMillian was named to the All-Tournament Team. The sophomore guard averaged seven points, six rebounds, and one assist over the three-game tournament.
UP NEXT
Converse will return to the friendly confines of the Weisiger Center, playing host to Mount Olive on Tuesday, December 3. Tipoff for that contest is scheduled for 6 p.m.