MURFREESBORO – Grounded.

Clutch rebounding and free throw shooting down the stretch helped Bowie State break a two-game losing streak and go on to defeat Chowan 70-65 in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) play Saturday at the Helms Center

The Lady Bulldogs’ win was aided by the return of reigning CIAA Defensive Player of the Year, center Chanita Jordan, who was playing in her first game since going down in pre-season to a knee injury.

Current CIAA Player of the Week, Chowan junior Talaya Lynch, led all scorers with 24 points – including six three-pointers – while teammate Ransheeda Jennings contributed 14 before fouling out late in the second half.

Juliette Turner had 19 for Bowie and Jasmine Jacobs had 15. Jordan, the N.C. State transfer, had a double-double of 14 points and 13 rebounds in 26 minutes of work.

The Hawks’ defense – among the best in the league – was stellar again, holding Bowie to 37 percent shooting for the game, including just 1-for-13 from three-point range.

The 6’-5” Jordan helped Bowie outrebound Chowan, 41 to 31; limiting the Hawks to collecting just four caroms off the offensive glass. And the normally reliable Chowan free throw shooting also came up short, missing three one-and-one opportunities.

“We shot 56 percent in the second half and a lot of that was missing the front end of one-and-ones,” said disappointed eighth-year coach Pat Mashuda.

“Our kids are playing hard,” he added. “We’ve just got to give them the right tools to get the job done.”

After some tight opening minutes Chowan took a four-point lead, 8-4, thanks to a pair of three-pointers by Lynch.  They equaled that mark with a layup by Jennings two minutes later that made it, 10-6.

But Bowie never let that margin grow, whittling away until the Lady Bulldogs grabbed the lead, 15-14, near the halfway mark.

It was 19-16, Bowie, at the nine-minute mark before Chowan fought back and retook the lead on a Danielle Coleman layup.  From there the game featured three more lead changes with Bowie up by one at the break, 33-32.

Bowie opened the second half with a 12-2 run to take their biggest advantage of the night, 45-34; but back stormed Chowan to retake the lead with seven and a half minutes left thanks to Lynch firing away from behind the crooked line.

The Lady Bulldogs just wouldn’t wilt, however, and they regained the lead on a Turner free throw.  But a pair of Lynch foul shots gave the lead right back to Chowan, 59-58.

After Bowie retook the lead, Janelle Murphy drove the lane between two Bulldog defenders and made a layup for a 61-60 lead, but a Jordan layup with a minute and a half to go was the fifteenth and final lead change of the contest.

Bowie (2-12, 2-5, CIAA) closed it out with six straight free throws, four by Jacobs, for their second win of the year but first in divisional play.

“It always hurts to lose,” said Lynch, who finished with six rebounds, “especially a close game.  But we went down fighting.”

“Usually in practice we shoot like 80 percent free throws,” said Murphy, “but we just couldn’t knock ’em down today.”

Chowan (7-10, 2-5, CIAA) played Lincoln University Monday night and close out the three-game home stand Thursday against Elizabeth City State.  Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.