Farmer's Double-Double Not Enough As Lions Fall To Anderson

MARS HILL, N.C. – The Mars Hill women's basketball team opened South Atlantic Conference play with an 88-60 loss to visiting Anderson on Tuesday evening. The Lions fell to 1-4 overall and 0-1 in the league, while the Trojans improved to 4-1 overall and 1-0 in the conference.

Aliyah Farmer led the Lions with her second double-double in three contests, dropping 19 points to go with her 13 rebounds. Paige Chavis chipped in 14 points, while Sydney Comer contributed 10. The Lions endured another cold-shooting night as they shot 19-of-67 from the field (28.4%), while Anderson finished 35-for-69 (50.7%). The Trojans also held a margin of 52-38 on the boards.

Both teams started the game slow, combining for four turnovers. Anderson reeled off a 4-0 run with back-to-back baskets from Bailey Sims, but a deep three from Chavis trimmed the Trojan lead to 4-3 with six and a half minutes remaining in the opening stanza. The Trojans used the three ball to build a 21-10 advantage after one.

That lead grew to 44-17 by halftime as Anderson outscored the Lions 23-7 during the second quarter. Chavis and Farmer led the Lions at the break with six points each, while Farmer pulled down eight boards.

Mars Hill opened the second half with a better shooting performance, connecting on 40% of its chances over the first five minutes of play. During that span the Lions held their own, tying the Trojans 11-all heading to the media timeout. MHU continued the impressive stretch, outscoring Anderson 25-19 in the third period. However, the Trojans held a comfortable 63-42 advantage on the scoreboard.

The lead proved to be insurmountable as Anderson controlled the fourth quarter on its way to an 88-60 win. Madison Baggett led the Trojans with a game-high 22 points, while Jasmine Franklin pulled down 10 rebounds.

The Lions will return to action on Saturday, November 26 as they travel to Greenville, S.C. to take on Division I Furman University. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.