WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina - The Virginia Wesleyan University women's basketball team fell to the Spirit of Salem College on Saturday afternoon in Winston-Salem, NC.

GAME INFORMATION
Score: Salem 73 - Virginia Wesleyan 69
Records: Virginia Wesleyan 0-2 | Salem 1-1
Location: Winston-Salem, NC

INSIDE THE SCORE
The first two minutes of the game was a flurry of action as the teams quickly drove the score up 9-8 with Salem holding the one point advantage. Imani Felton an S'Zahria Jones each score a basket while Adaje Williams put up two. Salem took a five point lead, 15-10, following a 6-2 run but baskets by Biana Atkinson and Logan Carter pulled the Marlins back within one, 15-14, with 1:46 left in the opening quarter. Salem closed out the final 1:46 with a 5-0 run to lead 19-14 heading into the second quarter. 

The Spirit used the first four minutes to take a 10-point lead, 27-17, after opening he second quarter on an 8-3 run. The Marlins scored 10 more points the remaining six minutes and headed into the halftime break trailing Salem by nine points with the score sitting at 36-27.

The Spirit's lead grew to as many as 13 points, 42-29, early in the third quarter, but the Marlins fought back chipping away at Salem's lead until they knotted the score at 47 all with 3:43 to play in the third. Seven points from Jessica Jennings started the VWU run followed by a three-point play by Natalia Collier off the basket-free throw combo. Adaje Williams added six points while Imani Felton converted a pair of free throws in the 18-7 rally. The teams spent the remaining time trading baskets and the Marlins held a slim three-point lead 55-52 as the horn hit zero ending the third quarter. 

VWU carried the momentum from the third quarter into the fourth and scored the first six points of the fourth taking a 0-point lead over Salem, 62-52. Six consecutive points by Salem brought the Spirit within four points, 62-58, with just over five minutes remaining. The Spirit kept clawing their way back and tied the score at 67 all with 19 seconds remaining forcing the Marlins to foul to stop the clock. In the final 19 seconds of the game, Salem scored six points all from free throws while Virginia Wesleyan added a jumper by Jada Norman but the Marlins came up short falling 73-69.

VIRGINIA WESLEYAN LEADERS
The Marlins were led by Jessica Jennings with 17 points while Adaje Williams collected 14 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Imani Felton joined Jennings and Williams in double figures with 13 points. 

SPIRIT LEADERS
The Spirit were led by Tyler Davenport with 21, while Alize Brooks added 13 points and Dionne Sampson had 10.

UP NEXT
The Virginia Wesleyan University women's basketball team returns to the court on Wednesday, November 17 when they host Bridgewater College in the ODAC opener. The Marlins and Eagles tipoff at 7 PM in TowneBank Arena.