Lions late lead trumped by streaking Converse

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Mars Hill women's basketball fell in heartbreaking fashion to Converse, 66-63, on Saturday afternoon. Sheena Johnson put up a season-high 24 points.

The Lions and Valkyries faced each other last Saturday, with Mars Hill coming away with the victory. Converse evened up the season series with their win in Spartanburg.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Johnson scored six straight points to give the Lions a 55-54 lead. The teams traded points until the final minute of the contest when Paige Johnson tied the game at 63 apiece. With 38 seconds remaining, Dominique Hill put the Valkyries up by two with her only basket of the game. A free throw from Tatum Boggs cemented the win for Converse.

The Valkyries outscored the Lions 21-13 in the opening frame, led by Abigail Lewis and Jordan Brooks. Each player had six points. Shaigna Wentz had four for the Lions. Wentz matched her output in the second quarter as Mars Hill had a 14-12 advantage heading into halftime. Tiffany Holloway pulled down four rebounds and added three points.

Sheena Johnson had eight points in the third quarter, followed by Brianna James' seven for the Valkyries. The two matched those numbers in the final ten minutes of play. James ended the contest with a team-high 21 points.

Mars Hill was 21-61 from the field and 17-22 from the free throw line. The Lions outrebounded the Valkyries 45-35; Baylea Loven with 10 on the afternoon. Converse shot 6-19 from beyond the arc and had 15 assists. Boggs had a game-high seven helpers.

The Lions fall to 1-4 on the season while Converse wins their fourth straight to end the day with a 4-2 record.

Mars Hill returns to Stanford Arena on Tuesday, November 21 taking on Limestone. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.