JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The Limestone College men's basketball team couldn't overcome a 12-point deficit as the Saints dropped an 84-72 non-conference decision to Carson-Newman University on Tuesday evening at Holt Fieldhouse.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Limestone 72, Carson-Newman 84  
Records: Limestone (6-7), Carson-Newman (11-2)  
Location: Holt Fieldhouse
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
 

• Redshirt-junior guard T.J. Sheppard (North Augusta, S.C.) led the Saints with 26 points.
• Junior guard Kenny Hairston (Charlotte, N.C.) added 25 points, which included seven three-pointers.
• Freshman forward Nehemiah McGriff (Lancaster, S.C.) tallied a team-high 11 rebounds.
• Limestone shot 46.8 percent from the field (29-of-62) and 37.5 percent from the free-throw line (three-of-eight).

 
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
The Saints put the first five points on the scoreboard before the Eagles used a three-point play to cut the difference to two points, 5-3, at the 17:56 minute mark. Limestone held onto the lead before Carson-Newman used an 8-4 run to go out ahead of the Saints, 11-9. The Eagles used the next several minutes to build a nine-point lead, 25-16. The Blue and Gold answered with consecutive buckets to close the gap, 25-20.
 
Carson-Newman retaliated with eight consecutive points to build a double-digit lead, 33-20 at the 8:08 minute mark. Limestone managed to get within seven points on two occasions, but that would be as close as the Saints would get as the Eagles took a 46-34 lead into the locker rooms.  
 
Second Half
The teams traded baskets coming out of the break before the Eagles found some offensive rhythm and scored nine unanswered points to build the largest lead of the game, 58-37 at the 16:09 minute mark. Limestone used the next several minutes to slowly chip away at the deficit and got to within 10 points, 68-58, with 9:06 left in regulation.
 
Despite efforts from the Saints, the 10-point difference proved to be as close as the Saints would get to the Eagles as Carson-Newman went on to defeat Limestone, 84-72.
 
NOTABLES
 

• Hairston has now surpassed the 250-point mark for this season and currently has 272 points.
• The last time the Eagles and the Saints faced each other was on December 9, 2015 in Jefferson City, Tenn.

 
UP NEXT
The Saints will return to action on Wednesday, Dec. 27 against the University of South Carolina. The exhibition game is set to begin at 3 p.m. in Columbia, S.C.