By Nick Bowton

Salisbury Post

Leading by two points, Livingstone took four free throws in four seconds late in the game Saturday against Johnson C. Smith.

The Blue Bears didn’t make a single one. They didn’t win the game either.

Shemika Jones made one of her three 3-pointers with 13 seconds remaining, and the Golden Bulls defeated Livingstone 63-62. Blue Bears Chelsea Johnson and Lamika Davis missed two free throws apiece before Jones’ game-winning shot, and Livingstone couldn’t get a shot off on its final possession.

“We thought two of our better free-throw shooters would go to the line and knock ’em down,” Livingstone coach Andrew Mitchell said. “When you don’t make the easy ones, things like that happen.”

This game happened the way it did despite Davis’ efforts to keep the Blue Bears ahead.

Davis made a pull-up jumper from the foul line with 1:43 remaining to put Livingstone ahead 60-58. After J.C. Smith (11-9, 7-8 CIAA) tied the game, Davis made a fadeaway jumper with the shot clock winding down for the Blue Bears’ final points.

On Livingstone’s final possession, Johnson dribbled down the right sideline and found Jonta Moss in the corner. Moss tried to drive baseline but had to fling the ball away as she fell out of bounds. The Blue Bears (9-12, 5-8) didn’t have any timeouts left.

“Even though the clock was running out, there was still plenty of time,” said Davis, who scored 13 points and had five steals. “When it got real, real low, we started panicking. You have to keep a calm head. If you don’t, stuff like that starts happening.”

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NOTES: Smith’s Brittany Sumpter led all scorers with 22 points and was 13-of-18 from the foul line. … Livingstone committed 21 of its 30 turnovers in the first half.

J.C. Smith (63) — Sumpter 22, Jones 15, Bodie 9, Jackson 6, Truesdale 5, Pope 4, Barnes 2, Mosely, Akande, Bell.

Livingstone (62) — Bryant 15, Davis 13, Brown 12, Moss 8, Johns 6, Walker 4, Stewart 2, Westray 2, Johnson, Mack, Lane, Hudson.

J.C. Smith 30 33 — 63

Livingstone 24 38 — 62