WILBERFORCE — Head women’s basketball coach Sheba Harris earned her 100th career coaching victory as Central State University defeated the Lane College Dragons, 68-63, on Wednesday.
“All the players I have had have gone out and worked extremely hard to be successful. Winning my 100th game is a reflection of all the great players and support staff I have had the pleasure of working with,” Harris said. “Our ladies stepped up big time and executed down the stretch.”
At the end of the first quarter Lane took a 16-9 lead, but the Marauders erupted for 26 points in the second stanza. CSU converted 10 of 16 shot attempts which included a deep Tamara Sellers three-pointer near the half court logo. CSU took a 35-30 lead into intermission.
The Dragons opened the second half on an 11-2 run, but CSU kept its poise. Sierra Harley netted a shot from beyond the arc, and Ghameerah McCullers scored at the end of the third period to give the Marauders a 49-48 lead.
Niya Royal hit a three-pointer to put Lane up by two at the 8:04 mark, but CSU used a 10-1 run, capped off by a McCullers fast break layup, to give CSU a 61-54 lead with 5:12 to play. CSU maintained a comfortable margin until a Latrice Ragland three pointer cut the lead down to four points with 33 seconds remaining. Forced to foul, Lane sent Sierra Harley to the free throw line with 22 seconds left. Harley calmly knocked down both free throw attempts to help seal the victory for Central State.
McCullers finished with a game-high 24 points to go along with six rebounds. Harley recorded 12 points and five assists. Sellers came off the bench to score 15 points.
With the win, the Marauders improve to 13-5 overall and stay on top the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s West Division with an 8-2 mark. Monday’s night’s victory also upped CSU’s winning streak to 10 games.
“Winning 10 in a row is something special. We hope to keep our momentum as we go on the road this weekend,” said Harris. CSU plays at Spring Hill College, at 2 p.m. Eastern, Saturday, Feb. 4, in Mobile, Ala.
