Box Score CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Queens University of Charlotte women's basketball team (4-19, 2-16 SAC) fell to the visiting Mars Hill Lions (12-6, 13-10 SAC) 72-58 on Homecoming on Saturday, February 13, 2016.
Queens shot 46.3 percent from the floor and scored 30 of their points in the paint, but allowed Mars Hill to score 14 second chance points which was a major factor in the game.
McKell Oliverio scored a team-high 16 points on 7-of-14 shooting to go along with a team-high six rebounds. Also scoring in double figures was
Maggie Stewart and
Karleasha Thompson who added 14 and 11 points respectively.
Mars Hill jumped out to an early 8-2 lead over the Royals as Ansley Ricker hit a three pointer with 8:49 left in the first quarter. The Royals answered right back as they went on a 9-0 run to take an 11-8 lead as Stewart completed an old fashioned three point play as she hit her free throw after she was fouled during a layup. Thompson's layup with 22 seconds left in the first cut the Lions lead down to one point, 22-21 as time ran out in the quarter.
Minutes into the second quarter, Mars Hill built a five point, 28-23 lead following a three point basket by Ricker, but the Royals had an answer yet again as they went on a 6-0 run to take back the lead, 29-28, when Oliverio hit a three ball with 5:38 remaining in the second quarter. The Lions closed out the quarter on a 9-3 run to give them a 37-32 lead at the half.
The Royals used the first four minutes of the second half to cut the Lions lead down to only one point, 41-40, following a jumper by
Erin Brundage that was assisted by Stewart. With the margin one point, Mars Hill went on a 12-2 run that extended all the way into the fourth quarter that gave them a 56-44 lead with just under nine minutes to play in the game. With 4:32 remaining in the game, Stewart hit a free throw that cut the lead down to ten points, 64-54, but that would be as close as the Royals would be able to make it as Mars Hill went on an 8-2 run that would break the lead wide open. The Royals
Tyra Shelton would score the last basket of the game for as her layup with six seconds left would make the final score 72-58.
Mars Hill was led by Ansley Ricker who scored 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the floor and made four three pointers in the game. Cadence Wilmoth was the only other Lion to score in double figures as she added 13 points in the game. Leading the Lions on the boards was Raven Brown who added eight rebounds to go along with her eight points.
The Royals will hit the road in their next game as they match up against the Catawba Indians on Wednesday, February 17th with tip off slated for 6:00 p.m.
