Ninth-Ranked Limestone Marches Past Mars Hill
The ninth-ranked Limestone Saints opened the second half on a 10-0 run to pull away from Mars Hill as they defeated the Lions 82-64 on Wednesday. Kelsey Espinosa scored 22 points to lead Mars Hill.
GAFFNEY, S.C.- The ninth-ranked Limestone Saints opened the second half on a 10-0 run to pull away from Mars Hill as they defeated the Lions 82-64 on Wednesday evening in Timken Gymnasium. Mars Hill falls to 4-5 overall while Limestone improves to 9-1 on the season.
Kelsey Espinosa led Mars Hill with a season-high 22 points, with Camille Glymph scoring 21 points. Glymph pulled down 10 rebounds, followed by Espinosa with eight boards.
Limestone was led by Alicia Bookins with 22 points, Ayshia McNeil with 20 points, Maurissa Lester with 12 points and 10 points each from Jasmine Kearse and Celestra Warren. Warren led the hosts with nine rebounds.
The Saints pulled out to an 11-4 lead just before the 14 minute mark of the opening half before the Lions completed a 10-2 run capped by an Espinosa layup to take a 14-13 lead with 11:30 to play. The Saints answered as a Precilla Hill layup started an 8-2 run for a 22-16 advantage at the 8:44 mark of the first half. Mars Hill pulled to within a point, 24-23, on a Paige Chavis layup with 7:34 remaining and evened the contest at 30 thanks to a Glymph 3-pointer with just under four minutes to play. Cadence Wilmoth gave the Lions a 33-32 advantage after completing the old fashioned three-point play with 2:38 remaining before Limestone finished the half on a 7-0 to take a 39-33 advantage into the locker room.
A pair of Warren free throws began a 10-0 run to open the second half as the Saints stretched their lead to 49-33 before an Espinosa layup gave the visitors their first basket of the period at the 16:35 mark. Mars Hill cut the deficit to 10, 49-39, following a Glymph 3-pointer with 14:13 to play before Limestone answered with six consecutive points. Glymph and Espinosa helped pull the Lions to within 10 points, 62-52, with 8:14 to play but Mars Hill would get no closer than 11 points the rest of the way.
Mars Hill will play its final non-conference game on Saturday afternoon against Belmont Abbey in Stanford Arena. The contest is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.