SALEM, W.Va. (Dec. 11) – A last second defensive stand propelled the Tigers to an 89-88 win over Rio Grande (Ohio) in the Joe Manchin Classic at the T. Edward Davis Gymnasium Friday evening.
 
The win snaps the Salem International University women's basketball team's 49-game losing streak and improves the team to 1-8 overall. Meanwhile, the Red Storm falls to 4-4 this season.
 
Rio Grande led 87-83 with 1:30 left in the game, before senior Alexus Cooper (Richmond, Va./Highland Springs) finished a layup with 1:17 to narrow the Red Storm lead to two. Following a Rio Grande missed shot, senior Samantha Aiken (Hilton Head Island, S.C./Hilton Head) dribbled through traffic in transition and finished a lay-up to even the game at 87-87 with 48 seconds left in the game.
 
The Red Storm split a pair of free throws to take a one-point lead, but sophomore Toi Brown (Detroit, Mich./Melvindale) answered with a basket to give the Tigers an 89-88 lead with 30 seconds remaining on the clock.
 
Rio Grande turned the ball over on its next possession and sent redshirt-freshman Keishla Gilmore (Philadelphia, Pa./Mariana Bracetti) to the free-throw line, but she failed to convert on both attempts. Rio Grande fumbled the ball around on the final possession of the game and did not attempt a shot as time expired, giving Salem International its first win of the season.
 
Gilmore led the team with 20 points, six rebounds and five assists in the win. Aiken added 17 points, Cooper tallied 16 points and nine boards, while senior TaShay Smith (Baltimore, Md./Overlea) chipped in 10 to snap the streak.
 
Rio Grande took a 43-33 lead into halftime, but the Tigers slowly began to chip away at the deficit. Salem International out-scored the Red Storm 20-11 over the first eight minutes of the second half, capped off by a Smith three pointer, to pull within one point, 54-53, with 2:35 left in the third quarter. Despite the spurt, Rio Grande rebuilt its lead to 64-59 by the end of the period and held the lead for the better part of the final quarter.
 
Salem International earned the win, despite being out-shot from the field (55 percent to 47 percent) and out-rebounded (42 to 32). Rio Grande also converted 30 of 45 (67 percent) from the charity stripe, while the Tigers finished 15 of 26 (58 percent). The Red Storm were charged with 36 turnovers, compared to 21 by Salem International.
 
The Tigers held the lead for only 7 minutes and 58 seconds in the contest (seven percent), with their largest lead being 6-3 in the first quarter of play.
 
Junior Aly Herren led Rio Grande with 20 points in the loss.

Prior to the win, the Tigers last won a regular season game on Jan. 9, 2014 when they defeated Kent State-Tuscarawas, 80-60 at home.

Salem International concludes play in the Joe Manchin Classic tomorrow, Saturday Dec. 12 when it hosts Bluefield State. Despite the event not being a tradition "tournament" format, the game will feature the winners of both women's games from Friday. Bluefield State picked up a 63-61 win over Ohio Valley in the earlier contest. The unofficial "title" game is set to tip around 5 p.m.