CLINTON, S.C. – The Presbyterian College women's basketball team nearly erased a 17-point second half deficit in its Big South Conference game against the visiting Longwood Lancers on Thursday night, but the Blue Hose pulled no closer than one point and Longwood hung on for the win, 46-43.
PC moves to 2-11 on the year and 0-4 in the Big South Conference. The Blue Hose stay at home to host Radford on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. Longwood improves to 4-9 overall, 1-3 in the Big South and will next play at Charleston Southern on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Longwood led the Blue Hose by 17 points at the 15:38 mark of the second half before the Blue Hose mounted a comeback bid that lasted through the rest of the game. Over the next seven and a half minutes, PC rattled off a 20-5 run to get within two points with 5:59 left. A free throw three and a half minutes later cut Longwood's lead in half but PC would get no further.
The run began with a three-pointer from Karlee Taylor (Asheville, N.C.), who finished the night with 10 points. Keyonna Allen (Forest Park, Ga.) scored a team-high 13 points while Sherece Smith (Clemson, S.C.) hauled in a game-high and season-best 12 rebounds—including 11 in the first half.
Smith scored next, followed by four unanswered points from Taylor. Noelle Carter (Neptune, N.J.) knocked down a jumper after two Longwood free throws. Aianna Kelly (Newport News, Va.) got in on the scoring action with Taylor and Allen to pull within five.
Kaycie Reffner (Altoona, Pa.) knocked down a pair of free throws and Kelly converted a layup to make the score 42-40 in favor of the visitors. The two sides traded baskets and Taylor hit the back end of two free throws to make it a 44-43 game with 2:25 to go.
Longwood drained two foul shots with 25 seconds left and the Blue Hose created a beautiful scoring opportunity at the other end, but PC could not covert as Longwood escaped with the win.
Trouble from the foul line dimmed PC's chances at the victory, as the Blue Hose hit 13 of a season-high 26 free throw attempts on the night.
Longwood's Raven Williams led the Lancers with 14 points and eight assists. Heather Tobeck and Brenna Robbins each added five rebounds.
PC held Longwood to 23.1 percent shooting in the second half (6-for-26) after a 45.5 percent performance in the first half. PC also won the rebound battle, 41 to 29, a new low for Blue Hose opponents this season.
Kelly registered three blocks for PC, a career-high for the freshman guard.
The Blue Hose opened the game with a 4-2 lead through the first 2:52 on Reffner free throws and an Allen layup. Longwood appeared to open up a big advantage before PC reeled the Lancers back in midway through the half with a Smith layup and an Allen bunny to cut Longwood' s lead to three.
The margin hovered around three until Raven Williams knocked down two three-pointers around a Reffner score for a nine-point lead. Two Smith free throws eventually made the score 27-20 heading into the locker room at halftime.
PC's Karlee Taylor played in her 100th career game on Thursday. Five of PC's last six losses have come by seven points or fewer.
