The Byrnes alum scored 19 points and hit key free throws down the stretch in a 79-78 victory.
Brianna James made two free throws with 15.6 seconds left and Converse beat Southern Wesleyan, 79-78, Friday night at Hannah Gymnasium.
James, a junior guard from Byrnes High, finished with 19 points, 13 rebounds and six assists. She is the seventh-leading scorer in Conference Carolinas at 15.9 points per game.
“A missed a few foul shots tonight,” said James, who was 7-for-10 at the line. “But I was glad to knock down those last two.”
Converse (7-12, 3-8) was down by as many as 10 points in the first half and by three to start the fourth quarter. Paige Johnson hit a 3-pointer with two minutes left for a 77-69 lead only to have Southern Wesleyan (5-13, 4-8) come back take the lead with 18 seconds left.
Abigail Lewis (Savannah, Ga.) led Converse with 20 points and had nine rebounds. She was 6-for-6 from the foul line. Johnson (Southside High) had 15 points and five assists. Tatum Boggs (Statesville, N.C.) added 13 points, five rebounds, four steals and three assists.
“We did some things really well tonight,” Converse head coach Dean Walsh said. “We played as a team for most of the game and it was a good win.”
Converse plays at home again 4 p.m. Saturday against North Greenville.