MARS HILL, N.C. - Despite senior Madison Floyd's team-high 16
points, the Anderson University women's basketball team could not
find an answer for Mars Hill's offense, as the Trojans fell on the
road for the first time in a regular season road contest in 15
games to the Lions, 93-73, Wednesday evening at Stanford Arena.
The setback hands the Black and Gold their first losing streak of the season, as they fall to 12-3 for the year with a 10-2 South Atlantic Conference mark. Mars Hill improves to 8-8 and 7-4 in SAC play.
Floyd was joined by fellow teammate Jennifer Monroe as the only Trojan in double figures. Floyd was 5-of-10 from the field and 4-of-9 from the 3 point arc. Monroe tallied 14 points on 7-of-13 shooting and pulled down five rebounds. As a team, Anderson shot 36 percent with a 27-for-75 for the game but was unable to keep pace with the hot shooting by the Lions (55.2%).
Mars Hill placed four players in double figures with two Lions scoring a game-high 25 points. Kelsey Espinosa shot 11-of-14 from the floor, and recorded eight rebounds in 35 minutes of play while teammate Paige Chavis followed suit on 8-of-11 shooting and made 3-of-3 3-pointers while grabbing nine rebounds. Ansley Ricker scored 17 points on the evening and Cadence Wilmot added 13.
Anderson took its final lead of the game 15-14 at the 2:19 mark on a 3-point basket by Floyd. Mars Hill answered back by finishing off the quarter on an 8-2 run giving the Lions a 22-17 advantage. Mars Hill continued its hot shooting pushing the lead to 11 with 6:52 in the second quarter. However, the Trojans would pull within four after running off seven unanswered points on a 3-point basket by Floyd, a lay-up by Alexis Dillard and a lay-up by Bailey Sims. The Lions continued to shoot their way into the locker room with a 10- point halftime lead.
Right out of the gates from halftime, Anderson's Heather Jankowy drained a three followed by two made foul shots by Floyd to cut the deficit to five. Mars Hill's Espinosa hit a jumper to push the score back to seven. On the next possession Floyd found the mark for her fourth 3 pointer trimming the lead to four. Jankowy then scored off of a steal and assist by Floyd cutting the lead to two. The Lions would answer back with several mini-runs eventually pushing the lead to 13 at the end of the third quarter.
The fourth quarter saw the Lions push to their largest lead of the night, 26 points with 3:07 remaining in the game. The deficit proved to be too great for the Trojans to overcome.
Anderson returns to action on Saturday when it comes home to the Abney Center to host SAC foe Newbery. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.
