CSU women fall to Virginia Union in Div. II quarterfinals

The Columbus State University women’s basketball team saw their season come to an end on Tuesday with a 78-73 loss to Virginia Union in the Division II national quarterfinals at Alumni Hall in Columbus, Ohio.

Senior guard Britteny Tatum led all Lady Cougars with 18 points. Junior forward Alexis Carter had 17, while senior forward Ashley Asouzu also finished in double figures with 10 points.

Asouzu and Carter also had nine rebounds each.

Starting point guard Keyrra Gillespie led the team with eight assists.

CSU took a 45-42 lead into the locker room at halftime after outscoring Virginia Union 22-16 in the first quarter. The Lady Cougars carried a six-point lead into the final quarter, but Virginia Union erased the deficit in the early stages of the period with a 10-2 run to take a two-point lead.

The two teams alternated the lead back and forth down the stretch, with the Lady Panthers taking control late and forcing CSU to foul. The Lady Cougars had a few looks to bring the game within one possession in the game’s final seconds, but an outside jumper and a couple of layups failed to go in.

The loss Tuesday snaps a 22-game CSU winning streak. The Lady Cougars’ season ends with a 31-2 record, a Peach Belt championship, a Southeast Regional championship, and a berth in the NCAA Elite Eight.

This story was originally published March 21, 2017 at 2:12 PM with the headline "CSU women fall to Virginia Union in Div. II quarterfinals."