Mars Hill Defeats LMU 72-50

MARS HILL , NC - The Lions' women's basketball team snapped a four-game skid to run past the visiting Railsplitters of Lincoln Memorial University Wednesday night in Stanford Arena. Abby DeBusk (New Tazewell, TN) scored 19 points, pulled down seven rebounds and dished out six assists to lead MHC to victory. (Box score)

MHC improved to 9-8 overall and 3-4 in the SAC. LMU fell to an even 9-9 on the season and 2-6 in the league.

LMU took an 8-7 lead with 15:54 left in the first half after Madeline Richards (Floyds Knob, IN) hit a layup. The Railsplitters then extended their advantage to as many as seven points (23-16) with 8:20 remaining in the first period after Heather Benton (Wooten, KY) hit a shot in the lane. The Lions then went on a 12-to-3 run over the next three minutes to take a 28-26 lead when DeBusk scored inside. The Lions would never trail again. They took an eight-point lead (37-29) into the locker room at halftime.

The second half belonged to the Lions. MHC started the second frame out scoring LMU 10-to-2 to lead by 16 (47-31) with 16:08 on the clock after Shannon Lee (Four Oaks, NC) hit a layup. As close as LMU would get down the stretch was to cut the deficit to 11 points (55-44) with 8:12 left in regulation after Andi Winney (Yorktown, IN) scored in the paint. Laura Snider (Old Fort, NC) answered that run with a 3-pointer on the Lions' next possession and the Lions never looked back. MHC's biggest lead of 23 points (72-49) came at the 2:54 mark after Jessica Blanford (Concord, NC) connected on a pair of free throws.

MHC scored 30 points in the paint, 23 off LMU miscues and 10 off the break. Following DeBusk for MHC was Blanford and Allison Schafer (Advance, NC) who scored 12 points apiece. MHC won the rebound battle, 40-to-24. The Lions converted on 52.8% (28-53) of their field goals in the win.

Richards and Winney led LMU scoring 13 and 11 points in the game, respectively. Winney added six rebounds in the contest.

MHC will host Tusculum College in Stanford Arena on Saturday at 2 p.m. LMU will host Lee University, also on Saturday at 6 p.m.