St. Augustine, Fla. – Despite jumping out to a 16-point lead after one quarter of action, Anderson University women's basketball team fell to nonconference opponent Flagler, 66-60, in the opening game of the Southeast Regional Crossover on Friday afternoon at Flagler Gymnasium.

Anderson (0-1) scored 16 straight points before the Saints scored its first basket, winning the first quarter, 20-4.

The Saints held close to AU in the second quarter of play (15-14) with the difference coming in Flagler's surge during the third period of play. The Saints outscored Anderson 27-8, which the Trojans could not recover from.

"A tell of two halves for us and a great learning game," said head coach Jonathon Barbaree. "Our execution failed us in the second half, after two players went down with injuries. That's where the learning part comes in, the next player has to be ready."

"The best part about a tournament is that we get to put it behind us and play again tomorrow," added Barbaree.

Despite being hobbled by an injured ankle, graduate student Shameka McNeill led the Black and Gold with 13 points. McNeill also pulled down five rebounds and was credited with two assists and two steals.

Senior Taylor Hair chipped in 11 points, while reserve Nelliah Wilson contributed nine points and seven rebounds in 15 minutes of action.

Leading all scorers was Flagler's N'Mya Pierce, scoring 20 points for the Saints while grabbing 10 rebounds. Three other Saints also reached double-digit scoring on the day.

After senior Taylor Hair's game tying layup with 5:26 left, the Saints went on a 12-0 run to distance themselves, 66-54, with 2:11 to go. Anderson held Flagler scoreless over the final two minutes, but the lead proved to be too much to overcome.

Anderson will return to the hardwood on Saturday when it squares off with nonconference opponent Clayton State. Tip-off is slated for 12 pm.