Salem University battled back from a 12-point deficit and withstood a late rally to hold off Virginia State University 92-86 in NCAA Division II women's basketball Saturday at T. Edward Davis Gymnasium. Nia Bishop scored seven of her game-high 22 points during a second-half 25-8 run that put the Tigers ahead to stay.
 
Salem (2-6) trailed the entire game until Daniela Quesada's layup off of a Nerea Arambarri Fernandez steal tied the contest 50-50 with 4:43 left in the third quarter. After Virginia State (5-5) scored the next six points to regain the lead, Inari Jones and Quesada answered with three-pointers and Jones hit a pair of free throws with 1:15 left in the quarter to give the Tigers their first lead at 58-56.
 
Three-pointers by Bishop and Fernandez continued the scoring run in the fourth quarter and Salem took its biggest lead of the game at 77-64 after Bishop sank a pair of free throws with 5:35 left to play. Virginia State got as close as six points, but Aaliyah Holmes and Reeva Jackson hit 4-of-4 free throws and Quesada converted a three-point play off of her own steak as Salem built the margin back to double figures. The Trojans hit a layup with two seconds left for the final margin.
 
The Tigers scored 57 points in the second half after being held under 40 points in the first half.
 
Virginia State jumped out to a 21-9 lead and was on top 27-17 at the end of the first quarter. Salem chipped away at the lead in the second quarter and Endia Jones' short jumper with 13 seconds left pulled the Tigers within four. But Vaciseva Draunidalo scored just before the buzzer to give the Trojans a 41-35 halftime lead.
 
Alicia Smith scored Salem's first nine points of the third quarter, including a three-pointer after Quesada's two offensive rebounds kept the Tigers' possession alive. Virginia State built the lead back up to six, but Bishop answered with a layup and Fernandez followed with two free throws and a steal after a media timeout to help ignite the Tigers' rally.
 
Smith finished with 17 points, while Quesada had 14 points and Holmes added 12 points. The Tigers outrebounded the Trojans 51-42 as Endia Jones pulled down 11 rebounds and Bishop and Smith had seven boards apiece, Endia Jones and Jackson blocked three shots apiece, while Kayla Hall and Precious Price each had two blocks. Fernandez had four steals.
 
Virginia State was led by Natalia Leaks with 15 points and 14 rebounds.
 
Salem returns to action Wednesday as the Tigers travel to Philippi, W.Va., to take on Alderson Broaddus University. The two teams are facing each other for the first time in two years.