Lady Tornado Lose Conference Opener to Limestone

GAFFNEY, S.C. – Three Lady Tornado players found double-digit scoring marks despite an 85-57 loss in their conference opener to Limestone College. Brooke Johnson led the team in scoring for the second time in four games with 16 points against the Saints, Tuesday night.

Limestone (5-1, 1-0) jumped out to a 41-22 first half lead behind Maria Young's 18 first-half points on 7-of-13 shooting and four three pointers. King was within a point of the Saints, 16-15, midway through the first half then began a 17-4 run heading into the locker room. Young finished with a career-best 39 points and hit 10 threes. Her teammate Stephanie Hayes recorded a triple-double with 10 rebounds, 10 assists and 14 points.

King (0-4, 0-1) trimmed a 23-point deficit to 14 points but Limestone returned fire, shooting over 50 percent in the second half. Johnson helped jumpstart a 9-0 run to bring the score to 50-36 with 13 minutes and change remaining. Limestone held off the Lady Tornado and ended the game on a 19-9 run and defeated King, 85-57.

Johnson scored nine of her 16 points in the second half, five from the charity stripe. Kalen Collins (Wise, Va.) also scored a majority of her points in the second half, recording eight of her 12 then. She shot 5-of-10 from the field and added four rebounds.

Freshman Alley Sprouse (Knoxville, Tenn.) was one rebound shy of her first career double-double. She had nine boards, five on the offensive end, to add to 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting.

King won the battle in the paint, outscoring the Saints 20-12 in the post and outscored the hosts in points off the bench, 15-9. Limestone won the all-important battle of the boards, outrebounding the Lady Tornado 40-33 and converting 18 King turnovers to 17 points of their own.

The Lady Tornado will play a pair of games in Wilberforce, Ohio against Central State University (Division II) and Cedarville University on Dec. 2-3 in non-conference play. King will play the Marauders of CSU on Dec. 2 at 5:00 p.m. before taking on the Yellow Jackets of CU the following day at 12 noon. The Tornado will open their home slate on Dec. 6 against Mars Hill from the Student Center at 6:00 p.m.