Women's Basketball Falls at Anderson

ANDERSON, S.C. – Mars Hill lost to Anderson 53-45 to open South Atlantic Conference play at the Abney Athletic Center. The Lions fell to 1-4 overall and 0-1 in the league. The Trojans improved to 2-0 on the season, 1-0 in the SAC.

Ansley Ricker led Mars Hill with 11 points and six rebounds. Cadence Wilmoth followed with seven points and five rebounds.

Alexis Dillard led Anderson with 13 points, eight rebounds and five blocks. Nakia Young tallied 11 points and seven boards.

As a team, the Trojans finished the game 15-for-19 (78.9 percent) from the charity stripe, compared to MHU's total of 10-for-21 (47.6 percent). Defensively, Anderson forced Mars Hill into 23 turnovers, as the game was decided in the lane with AU scoring 30 of its 53 points inside the paint. Mars Hill out rebounded the Trojans, 52-38.

Both teams struggled offensively in the opening half, as the Trojans held a 22-19 lead heading into the halftime break. Anderson maintained Mars Hill to just nine made field goal in the first half, as the Lions closed the opening stanza 1-of-5 from 3-point range and 0-for-6 from the free throw line.

Anderson did not give up its lead for the final 20 minutes of the contest. Mars Hill attempted a comeback in the final two minutes, as MHU's Genice Lane dropped in a lay-in at the 1:41 mark in the fourth quarter to cut Anderson's lead to 46-43. With AU seeing its smallest lead since the 9:11 mark, Jennifer Monroe countered with her own lay-in to the put the game out of reach.

Mars Hill will host Young Harris on December 2. Game time in Stanford Arena is set for 6 p.m.