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WILSON – Imani Hickman gave the Chowan women’s basketball team a spark off the bench as the Hawks survived a cold shooting night in a 60-54 victory over Barton on the road on Wednesday evening.

Hickman collected her first career double-double with a career-high 17 points and 14 rebounds. Hickman went 6-6 from the stripe.

Tyaysia Sharpe picked up 10 points, while Destiny Robinson added nine points and eight rebounds.

Chowan shot 32.3% (21-65) from the floor in the contest as the Hawks struggled in the first and third quarters shooting less than 30% in those frames.

Despite going scoreless for nearly four minutes of the opening period, Chowan somehow managed to take a 16-14 lead into the second quarter. There, Sharpe drained a pair of three-pointers that allowed the Hawks to build a 22-16 lead.

Barton got to within 24-20 before Hickman hit a jumper from the elbow. Sydney Roberts picked up a point at the stripe prior to Kashara Simpson connecting from the floor. Robinson stretched the advantage with the three-point play to lead 32-24.

Demetria Bland ended the half with a jumper as Chowan led 34-26 at the intermission.

The Hawks struggled as the second half opened where Barton cut the deficit to 34-31. It got even closer by the end of the period where Chowan clung to a 42-40 lead.

Hickman knocked down a triple to open the scoring in the fourth quarter. Bland added a jumper to push the advantage to 47-40 early in the frame. The Bulldogs picked up points at the stripe before Hickman added a jumper from the elbow.

Robinson ended a three minute scoreless run for the Hawks to push the lead to 51-45 midway through the final frame. Barton hit a three-pointer to draw closer following the media timeout. The Bulldogs went 1-2 from the stripe to chip away, 51-49.

Bland slowed the run with a jumper before a triple by the Bulldogs cut the deficit to one, 53-52, with 1:35 remaining. Sharpe answered with a triple before a 1-of-2 trip at the line by the Bulldogs kept it a one possession contest.

Barton was forced to foul in the final minute as Chowan took time off the clock. Sharpe tallied one point at the stripe to move the score to 57-53 with 29 seconds left.

Hickman collected a defensive rebound and finished off the trip at the line with 23.2 seconds remaining. Barton collected a point at the stripe before Bland hauled in a rebound. Roberts goes 1-2 from the stripe to stretch the lead to 60-54 with 17.5 seconds remaining.

Robinson sealed the victory with a steal.

Chowan (6-2 overall; 3-1 in league play) returns home for the final home game of 2022 as the Hawks host Erskine on Wednesday, Dec. 14. Tip-off is slated for 5 pm.