Converse Falls To #9 in Nation Anderson College, 110-78

The Anderson College Lady Trojans placed six players in double figures shot 55 percent from the field to overwhelm Converse 110-78 in non-conference play.

The Lady Trojans, ranked No. 9 in the USA TODAY/ESPN/WBCA Division II Top 25 and No. 4 in the East Region, were led by Deidra Langston with her third straight double-double — 22 points and 10 rebounds.

LaShonda Chiles tallied 21 for Anderson. Following Langston and Chiles for the Lady Trojans were Latrice Thomas with 18, Deanna Thompson with 15, Stephanie Ponds with 14, and Shemika Reed with 11. Reed also tallied 12 assists. Thompson and Reed also had six steals apiece.

Converse, 2-16 overall, was led by Melissa Ballard with 20 points and Melissa Bunce with 19 points. Ballard was 5-for-8 from behind the arc.

Anderson never trailed. The Lady Trojans broke the game open with an 11-2 run that started at the 14:44 mark of the first half. Ponds and Thomas scored two baskets apiece during the run that gave Anderson a 19-9 lead with 11:18 remaining.

After Converse got back within seven points at 20-13, Anderson went on a 27-11 run for a 47-24 lead with 2:49 to play. Anderson shot 63 percent from the field in the first half and led 52-30 at break.

Anderson’s lead never dipped below 20 points in the second half. The AC lead reached 30 for the first time — 81-51 — when Chiles scored at the 11:30 mark off an assist from Reed.

Anderson scored 36 points off 26 Converse turnovers, and the Lady Trojans had 26 second-chance points.

Converse, now 2-16, will travel to Presbyterian College on Tuesday February 1st for a 7pm contest.