HICKORY, N.C.  – The Limestone College men's basketball team fell to non-conference opponent Lenoir-Rhyne University, 71-60, on Saturday afternoon at Shuford Gymnasium.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Limestone 60, Lenoir-Rhyne 71       
Records: Limestone (3-3), Lenoir-Rhyne (1-4)  
Location: Shuford Gymnasium
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
 

• Junior guard Kenny Hairston (Charlotte, N.C.) led the Saints with 15 points.
• Redshirt-junior guard T.J. Sheppard (North Augusta, S.C.) recorded 13 points and six assists.
• Senior forward Macoumba Kane (Dakar, Senegal) tallied 12 points and seven rebounds.
• Redshirt-senior forward Donovan Harris (Burlington, N.C.) added 11 points and eight boards.
• Limestone shot 45.1 percent from the field (23-of-51) and 53.8 percent from the free-throw line (seven-of-13).

 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
First Half
Limestone's offense started slow as it took three minutes before the Saints were able to put tallies on the scoreboard as the Bears jumped out ahead, 7-2. The Saints continued to work to close the gap, while the Bears worked to their first double-digit lead of the game at 14-4. Limestone cut the advantage to seven points at 16-9 before the Bears used the next couple of minutes to build a 13-point lead, 25-12, at the 9:03 minute mark.
 
Lenoir-Rhyne continued to stack on the points as the Bears doubled the Saints, 30-15, for its largest lead of the game. In the final minutes, the Saints outscored the Bears 13-6 to cut the difference to eight points, 36-28, at the half.
 
Second Half
The Saints came out of the break outscoring the Bears 14-4 to take their first lead of the game, 42-40 at the 15:04 minute mark. The advantage was short lived as Lenoir-Rhyne answered with seven consecutive points to regain the lead, 47-42. Play went back and forth as the lead changed on six occasions before the Bears took a five-point lead, 58-53 with 4:37 left in regulation.
 
The Saints fought back to take a slim 59-58 lead at the 2:54 minute mark, but the Bears came back to retake a 64-59 advantage with 1:01 on the clock. Limestone got to within four points, 64-60, but seven consecutive free throws from the Bears finalized the 71-60 victory in favor of the home team.
 
NOTABLES
 

• The Bears snapped a nine-game losing streak that dated back to February 11, 2017.

 
UP NEXT
The Saints will open up Conference Carolinas play on Tuesday, Nov. 28 against Erskine College. The game is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Timken Center.