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Sports Release                                                                                                                      February 14, 2008

Mars Hill Gets By Lady Railsplitters In Final Minute

MARS HILL, NC – Mars Hill College defeated the visiting Railsplitters of Lincoln Memorial University 62-58 Wednesday night in Stanford Arena. MHC improved to 13-9 overall and 4-6 in the SAC. LMU fell to 11-11 on the season and 2-8 in the league. (Box score)

Ariel Okunowo (Decatur, GA) led the Lions with 20 points followed by Allison Schafer (Advance, NC) and Jessica Blanford (Concord, NC) who added 14 points apiece. Brittini Young (Ramseur, NC) was the only other player in double-figures for MHC. She scored 10 points, had six rebounds and five assists. Schafer led the Lions in rebounds with nine.

LMU jumped out to a 12-point (20-8) lead with 11:47 left in the first half after Andi Winney (Yorktown, IN) converted an old-fashioned 3-point play. MHC was able to close out the first half on a 20-12 run to trim the deficit to four points (32-28) at the break.

LMU started the second frame on a 8-4 run to lead by eight points (40-32) with 15:33 on the clock after Winney manufactured another 3-point play. MHC then out scored the Railsplitters 16-7 over the next seven minutes to enjoy their first lead of the game at the 8:53 mark after Okunowo hit a layup. The game remained close down the stretch.

Kara Harris (Alcoa, TN) gave LMU a 54-52 advantage with 4:58 left in the contest after hitting a shot from behind the arc. Blanford hit what would prove to be the game winner with 1:36 left in regulation when she connected on a shot in the lane. LMU had a chance to win or tie with 15 ticks left but MHC forced an LMU turnover to seal the win. Okunowo scored an insurance basket off the miscue to make the final tally, 62-58.

Winney led LMU with 13 points and six boards followed by Heather Benton (Wooten, KY) and Harris who added 10 points apiece. LMU edged the Lions in rebounds, 35-31.

MHC scored 40 points in the paint and 10 off the break. After shooting well in the first half (48%) the Railsplitters cooled off in the second stanza hitting only 34.5% (10-29) from the floor. LMU was only 2-10 from behind the arc in the second half.

MHC will play at Catawba College on Saturday at 2 p.m. LMU will host Lenoir-Rhyne College on Saturday at 6 p.m.

-LMU-