The Union Pines girls' basketball team let a late lead slip away Tuesday at Southern Lee in the first round of the conference tournament, as they lost 62-52 to the Southern Lee Cavaliers.

Foul trouble plagued the Vikes throughout the Cape Fear Valley contest; and by night's end, four Union Pines starters fouled out. The Cavs went to the line 34 times, converting 21.

After a first quarter in which both teams shot poorly from the field, Southern led 8-6. The Vikes' foul troubles began when junior guard Lindsey Wilborn picked up two quick fouls late in the quarter.

The contest opened up considerably in the second period as both teams began knocking down some shots. With 3:34 remaining in the first half, Vike Alishia Mosley made a three from the top of the arc to bring her team within one, 14-13. Seconds later, Union Pines' starter Catherine Daley was whistled for her third personal foul.

Mosley made a steal with 1:09 left in the quarter, gave the ball up and got it back behind the three-point line where she buried a bomb to give the Vikes a 18-17 lead. With 25 seconds to go in the half, she connected on a pull-up jumper to give her team another one-point lead. Then she launched a shot from 28 feet out that just beat the buzzer and rattled home, giving Union Pines a 23-19 lead.

Mosley had a huge second quarter. She scored 12 points with three treys and three rebounds. However, she did not score in the second half, as she got into foul trouble early in both the third and fourth periods.

Mosley picked up her third foul in the first minute of the second half and was relegated to the bench. Freshman guard Tyesha McLean received her third personal with just less than five minutes remaining in the quarter. Meanwhile, the Cavs were mounting a run, and a pair of free throws by point guard B. K. Smith gave Southern Lee a 26-25 lead with 4:50 left on the clock.

With Union Pines' two leading scorers watching from the bench, Wilborn and junior guard Taylor Bridgers picked up the slack. Wilborn answered Smith's free throws with a step-back jumper to regain the lead for Union Pines. Southern Lee then rattled of six straight to take a 32-27 lead with 3:34 left to play in the third. After a Vike timeout, Wilborn got to the line and made both shots to cut the lead to three.

The Cavs responded with consecutive buckets to lead 36-29. Bridgers would score the last five points of the quarter on a layup, followed by a three at the buzzer to bring Union Pines within two, 38-36, with eight minutes to play.

Momentum seemed to be on the side of Union Pines as the final frame began. Bridgers found Wilborn slashing to the basket to tie things at 38-all early in the fourth. With 4:51 left to play in the contest and Southern Lee up by three, Bridgers buried a long bomb to tie the game at 45-all.

Bridgers brought down a big defensive rebound at the four-minute mark and passed the ball up court for an assist on a Wilborn lay-in, as the Vikes led 48-45. On the Cavs' ensuing possession, Wilborn made a steal and passed to Mosley who drove into the lane where she and a Southern Lee player collided. After first calling a block foul, the referee changed his mind and indicated the play was a charge. The foul was Mosley's fifth which disqualified her from the game. The play proved to be a five-point turnaround, as Brittany Blue made a three for the Cavs, to tie the game at 48-all.

Southern Lee closed the game on a 17-4 run as Vike starters (Wilborn, McLean and Daley) fouled out one by one. The Cavs got to the line 22 times in the last quarter, making 17 of the free throws.

Mosley led the Vikes with 14 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double. Wilborn had 12 points, all in the second half. Bridgers added 10 for Union Pines. Torrence had five assists and three steals.

Shaquetta Brooks had a game-high 17 points for the Cavaliers to go along with seven rebounds.

As a fifth seed from the Cape Fear Valley conference, Union Pines (10-13 on the year) qualified for the state 3-A playoffs that begin next week. The Vikes are slated to take on the first seed from the Northeast Conference.

Union Pines 6 17 13 16 -- 52

Southern Lee 8 11 18 25 -- 62

Union Pines -- T. McLean 2 2-8 6; J. Spencer 1 0-2 2; T. Bridgers 4 2-2 10; R. Torrence 0 3-6 3; L. Wilborn 4 4-4 12; A. Mosley 4 3-4 14; C. Daley 1 2-6 5. Totals -- 16 16-32 52.

Southern Lee -- B. K. Smith 0 13-17 13; M. Cooper 1 4-6 6; C. Allen 4 4-5 12; D. Daniel 1 0-0 2; S. Brooks 8 1-6 17; B. Blue 4 2-2 12. Totals -- 18 24-36 62.

Three-point goals: Union Pines 4 (Bridgers 1, Mosley 3); Southern Lee 2 (Blue 2).