Lions' late push falls short versus Anderson in SAC Championships
The Mars Hill women's basketball team (2-18) fell short in their opening round game versus Anderson (13-10) by a score of 64-56 on Saturday afternoon as part of the 2021 SAC Pilot Flying J Women's Basketball Championships.
ANDERSON, S.C. - The Mars Hill women's basketball team (2-18) fell short in their opening round game versus Anderson (13-10) by a score of 64-56 on Saturday afternoon as part of the 2021 SAC Pilot Flying J Women's Basketball Championships.
Mars Hill outscored the Trojans, 42-33, in the second half, but clutch defensive stops and free throws for the Trojans secured the win.
The Lions entered the fourth quarter, trailing 45-33. With under seven minutes to play, the Lions began a 12-2 run that saw the Anderson lead shrink to five with 2:22 remaining off of an Alexis Pardue three-pointer. Down the stretch, Anderson would hold off the Lions by hitting free throws to cement the win.
De'Ja Marshall recorded nine points in the frame followed by Gabby Gianikos' six. Pardue netted five and pulled down three rebounds.
Neither team shot well from the floor in the opening stanza, combining to go 5-of-27. Anderson, led by Taylor Hair and Samantha Michel's four points apiece carried a 10-6 lead into the second.
A Trojans' 13-0 run in the second quarter ballooned the lead up to 27-9 with under two minutes to play in the half. They upped their shooting percentage to over 44 percent in the second while the Lions shot just 10 percent from the floor. Maggie Campbell led all players with six in the stanza.
Marshall and Gianikos began to right the ship in the third, combining for 15 of the Lions' 19 points. Jalyn Spurlin netted seven for the Trojans.
The Trojans outrebounded Mars Hill 59-37, including 18 offensive rebounds, and blocked 10 shots. The Lions converted over 85 percent of their free throw opportunities compared to the Trojans' 58 percent.
Marshall ended the contest with a game-high 24 points and 13 rebounds, her 14th double-double of the year. Gianikos added 14 followed by Pardue's six. Spurlin led the Trojans with 17 off the bench as Hair netted 12. Britney Bailey pulled down a game-high 16 rebounds.
Mars Hill closes out the 2020-21 season with a 2-18 record.
