Salem University slashed a 19-point third-quarter deficit down to a single point in the final minute of the game before falling to Ohio Valley University 95-90 in NCAA Division II women's basketball Thursday at Vienna, W.Va. Endia Jones led the Tigers with a season-high 23 points.
 
Salem (6-16) trailed by 11 with 2:36  left to play when the three-ball and pressure defense sparked a 10-0 run. After Nerea Arambarri Fernandez hit a three-pointer from the left wing, the Tigers' defense forced an errant pass and Precious Price picked up the loose ball. Price found Nia Bishop on the right wing for a three to pull the Tigers within 91-86 with 2:19 remaining.
 
Ohio Valley (4-17) came up empty on its next possession and Jones drove in for a layup on the other end. After another Tiger defensive stop, Jones banked in an eight-footer to pull Salem within 91-90 with 1:09 remaining.
 
Ohio Valley ran the shot clock down and Kyrin Baklund finished with a layup to push the Fighting Scots' lead back to three with 38 seconds left. After a Tiger missed shot, Ohio Valley hit 1-of-2 free throws to make it a two-possession game with 12 seconds remaining. The Fighting Scots stole the Tigers' inbound pass and added another free throw to seal the win.
 
The Tigers cut a 17-point halftime deficit down to 11 as Alicia Smith sandwiched a pair of baskets around a Jones layup to score the first six points of the second half. Salem had a chance to pull within single digits, but Ohio Valley forced a turnover and the Fighting Scots went on a 12-4 run to take their biggest lead of the game at 71-52 with 4:17 left in the third quarter.
 
Inari Jones hit a three-pointer as Salem chipped away at the deficit. Smith and Bishop each hit a pair of free throws and Daniela Quesada's 10-foot turnaround jumper at the buzzer capped a 6-0 run in the final 53 seconds to pull the Tigers within 77-65.
 
A pair of Endia Jones free throws with 8:20 remaining brought Salem within 82-73, the first time since the second quarter the margin was under 10 points. Ohio Valley pushed the margin back to double figures on a three-pointer by Akiya Brown. Aaliyah Holmes's three-pointer highlighted a 7-0 run as the Tigers cut the gap to 85-80 with 5:02 remaining.
 
The Fighting Scots scored the next six points to build the margin back to double figures before Salem made its final comeback attempt.
 
After Endia Jones scored the first five points of the game to give Salem a quick lead, the first quarter saw four ties and three lead changes before Ohio Valley ended the period with a 25-21 advantage. The lead changed hands in five consecutive possessions during a 74-second span in the second quarter as Tamia Tart hit a three-pointer and converted a three-point play to give the Tigers a 33-31 lead with 7:21 left before halftime.
 
Alicia Smith answered an Ohio Valley basket with a pair of free throws to put Salem back on top. Ohio Valley then scored the next nine points and Imani Ward's layup with 3:34 remaining gave the Fighting Scots their first double-digit lead at 48-38. The Tigers never got closer than eight points as Ohio Valley outscored the Tigers 27-9 to end the half and take a 59-42 lead into the locker room.
 
Ohio Valley's 59 first-half points were only five points fewer than its entire game scoring total in the two teams' first meeting when Salem defeated the Fighting Scots 103-64.
 
Bishop finished with 15 points and five assists,  while Smith scored 14 points and Fernandez added 13 points. Endia Jones pulled down a team-high eight rebounds.
 
Brown led all players with 26 points for Ohio Valley.
 
Thursday's contest was Salem's second in a span of three days and the final game of a five-game road stretch for the Tigers. Salem is back on the court Monday as the Tigers play host to Alderson Broaddus University. Tip-off is 5:30 p.m. at T. Edward Davis Gymnasium.