ANDERSON, S.C. – Despite playing with only eight players, the Limestone University women's basketball team took Anderson University, the defending South Atlantic Conference Regular Season Champion, down to the wire before ultimately falling short, 67-61, on Wednesday, December 2 at the Abney Center.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Anderson 67, Limestone 61
Records: Anderson (2-1, 2-1), Limestone (0-2, 0-2)
Location: Abney Athletic Center
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
 

• Senior Josie Long (Madison, Fla.) led the Saints with 14 points off the bench
• Freshman Reagan Kargo (Summerfield, N.C.) added 12 points and eight rebounds
• Graduate Lynadia Whiting (Waterbury, Conn.) chipped in 11 points and dished out five assists
• Freshman Aaliyah Foxx-Rome (Dallas, Ga.) collected 10 points and six boards
• Junior Vonshayla Webb (Travelers Rest, S.C.) hauled in seven rebounds to go with six points
• Limestone went 25-of-76 (33%) from the field, but only 4-of-21 (19%) from three-point range
• The Saints shot only eight free throws while the Trojans went 19-of-27 from the line
• Limestone outscored Anderson 30-24 in the paint and held a 22-14 edge in bench production

 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
First Quarter
 
A floater in transition by Whiting early in the first gave Limestone its first lead of the year, but the Trojans responded with an 11-2 run over the next several minutes. The Saints went just 2-for-9 from the field during that stretch while committing four turnovers as Anderson took an 11-4 lead at the media timeout.
 
The home team extended the lead to nine with 3:32 left, but the Blue and Gold came to life on offense behind a 10-0 spurt. Long got the run started with a deep three from the corner before adding a fastbreak score while a long-range strike by Whiting put the Saints up, 14-13, with 89 ticks remaining in the first.
 
Second Quarter
 
Trailing by two to start the second, the Saints used buckets by a pair of freshmen to retake the lead. Inside scores from Kargo and Foxx-Rome made it an 18-16 game, but the Trojans used a conventional three-point play to spark a 12-5 counterattack to move back in front, 28-23, at the midway point.
 
Long, who scored seven straight points for the Saints, knocked down a pair of free ones to cut the margin to 28-25 with 4:11 showing on the clock, but Anderson would extend the margin to 33-25 a few ticks later. Sophomore Alaan West (Harvey, La.) then tallied her first points in more than a calendar year before junior Reagan McCray (Davie, Fla.) dialed long distance as Limestone closed the gap to 36-32 at the half.
 
Third Quarter
 
Similar to the first half, Whiting opened the scoring for the Saints in the third quarter with a layup, but Anderson matched that bucket on the other end. Back-to-back baskets by Foxx-Rome then highlighted a 6-2 run for Limestone, tying the game at 40-all, but the Trojans would hold a 45-42 edge with 4:31 left.
 
Kargo bookended a pull-up in the lane by Long with a pair of layups before Foxx-Rome fought to get a ball to drop in the lane, giving the Saints a narrow 50-49 cushion with 1:16 remaining in the third. However, Anderson scored late as the home team carried a narrow 51-50 lead into the final period.
 
Fourth Quarter
 
Neither team could find the bottom of the bucket early in the fourth quarter as Anderson and Limestone combined to miss the first 10 field goal attempts of the period. After each team exchanged a free throw, the Trojans snapped the field goal drought with a long three-pointer at the 7:02-mark, making it 55-51.
 
Sophomore Mary Davis (Goose Creek, S.C.) scored on an uncontested layup for Limestone's first bucket of the fourth with 6:15 remaining in regulation, but Anderson again answered on the other end from behind the arc before hitting another from long distance to pull ahead 61-53 a few moments later.
 
The Saints continued to fight down the stretch as Kargo hit a jumper before knocking down two free throws, narrowing the gap to 62-57 with 2:55 remaining. The freshman then hit another clutch jumper, cutting the lead to three, but the Trojans would close out the 67-61 win at the stripe over the final minute.
 
TURNING POINT
 
Limestone pulled ahead 50-49 late in the third, but a drive to the hoop by Anderson would put the home team up by one to start the fourth. Although the Saints would keep it close in the late going, they could never regain the lead as the Trojans hit three of their six threes in the final period to hold off the visitors.
 
NOTABLES
 

• Limestone went just 4-of-17 (24%) with five turnovers over the last 10 minutes
• Kargo scored five of the team's 11 fourth-quarter points
• The Saints forced 15 turnovers on defense and finished with a 21-14 edge in points off turnovers
• The game was ultimately decided at the free throw line as the Trojans scored 19 points at the line
• Conversely, the Blue and Gold went 7-of-8 at the charity stripe

 
UP NEXT
 
The Saints will make their 2020-21 home debut this weekend as they host Coker University on Saturday, December 5 at the Timken Center. Saturday's matchup will be a homecoming for Coker head coach Melissa DeVore, who spent the past 14 years as Limestone's assistant coach, and Coker assistant coach Jasmine Kearse,  Limestone's all-time leading scorer.