The Charlotte Crown’s 10-game win streak came to an end Thursday at Bojangles Coliseum in a slugfest that lived up to every bit of the hype. The Jacksonville Waves outlasted the Crown 78-76 in a contest that saw 20 lead changes, 12 ties and a defensive battle that neither team could pull away from.
Both sides struggled to find easy looks. Charlotte started off 0-9 and shot just 39.7% from the floor, while Jacksonville shot 42.6% in a game defined by physical, possession-by-possession basketball. Charlotte’s defense forced 23 team fouls, with Deja Kelly alone drawing 10 whistles on her way to a team-high 20 points and 6 assists. KK Deans added 14, while Schaquilla Nunn and Quinzia Fulmore each grinded out double-doubles inside.
Jacksonville’s edge came in transition, outscoring the Crown 24-14 on fast breaks, and it proved to be enough. With the game on the line, Deans got a clean look for the win in the closing seconds, but it rimmed out, sealing the 78-76 final.
This was one of the final two regular-season matchups between these two Championship-bound teams,, as they will face off again on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Bojangles Coliseum.
The Postgame Interview from head coach Trisha Stafford-Odom and highlights can be found at those respective links.
Story written by Nick Bailey