Michelle Fitzgerald (Baltimore, Md./Md. Academy of Tech & Health Science (N.C. A & T)) recorded her fourth double-double of the season and Teira Pendleton (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore Polytech) added 14 points as the Lincoln University women's basketball team held off a tenacious Winston Salem University squad 75-66 Saturday afternoon at the Gaines Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The Lions improve to 6-4 overall and even their record at 1-1 in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) contests.  The Rams fall to 4-6 overall and 0-2 in league play.

Fitzgerald led all scorers with 19 points on 7-14 shooting while grabbing 12 rebounds.  Thirteen of those points came in the second half.  Pendleton added 14 points and narrowly missed a double-double with nine rebounds.  Shahra Madison (Chesapeke, Va./Norfolk Collegiate School (Chesapeke College)) and Brianna Logan (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley (Siena)) added nine points apiece.

Brianna Arnold led the Rams with 16 points. Tiana Edwards and Teara Johnson added 12 and 10 points respectively.  Johnson also had nine rebounds

Lincoln used a dominant fourth quarter to erase a 50-49 deficit at the start of the period., shooting 53.8% (7-13) in the period and making 10 of 12 free throws. The Lions scored the first eight points of the period to take control with Shecquan Bailey (Salisbury, Md./Snow Hill (Baltimore City C.C.)) opening the scoring with a three-pointer and Fitzgerald following with the next five to take a 57-50 lead.  Arnold broke the streak with a layup at the 8:13 mark before the Lions added a 6-2 spurt to push the lead to nine at 64-53 with Pendleton scoring the final four points of the run.    DeeDee Irwin (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville Area)'s three-pointer with just over four minutes remaining pushed the lead to ten at 68-58 and the Rams would come no closer than five points the rest of the way.

The Lions had a double digit lead at the half but the Rams outscored Lincoln 23-12 in the period.   LU increased their leads to 13 on Madison's basket  at the 7:42 mark before the Rams ran off eight straight points to close within five at 43-38 and finished off the quarter  on a 12-4 flourish to take just the second lead of the game at 50-49 (the first was at 2-0).

For the games, the Lions shot 37.1% (26-70) from the field while the Rams made 26 of 66 shots (39.4%).  LU held a solid edge of the free throw line, connecting on 19 of 23 shots (82.6%) to WSSU's 10-14 (71.4%).  Lincoln held a 49-37 rebounding advantage including a 19-11 margin on the offensive glass.  Lincoln also outscored WSSU 40-32 in the paint.

The Lions return to action on Monday, December 18, 2017 when they play the final game of their three-game CIAA southern swing at Livingstone College.  Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m