Box Score Tigerville, SC – The Crusaders were looking to make a late push in the conference standings as they rode three late season conference wins into tonight’s game facing Limestone. Coach Angel McGowan’s team came, saw, and conquered as they defeated the Saints 66 – 51. From the very tip the Crusaders played a dominant game, which comes as no surprise as the team never game King a lead last Saturday. The Crusaders did what they do best by making the open shots the Saints gave them and getting to the free throw line.
The Crusaders started the game a little cold as the Saint jumped out to the early lead, however, the Crusaders stifled the momentum as Karen Donehew (Junior) netted a three-pointer at the 7:26 mark. After giving up eight more points the Crusaders kicked it into high gear as Ty Saunders (Sophomore) sank another triple for the Crusaders followed up by another long range shot from Donehew. The first quarter came to an end with the Crusaders trailing by a point but scoring seven of the last nine points in the quarter. Savannah Hughes (Sophomore) and Kira Bell (Sophomore) made two layups late in the quarter to give the Crusaders the momentum heading into the second.
In what started out as a mirror image of the first quarter, the second quarter turned into a nightmare for the Saints as the Crusaders relentlessly fought for the lead tying the game twice in the quarter. After relinquishing seven early points the Crusaders settled in and began a streak of their own. Just before the media timeout Bell made a slashing move to the lane and finished at the rim to spark the Crusaders. Ayano Shelton (Junior) followed up the move by rejecting a Limestone shot on the other end. Then Donehew and Saunders went on the offensive scoring five points in minute – stunning the Saints. Shelton added two free throws late in the quarter to tie the game and send the Saints into the locker room on their heels.
The second half unleashed the beast as the Crusaders came out ready to attack. After trading baskets back-and-forth, the Crusaders made a daring 17 – 2 run that gave them a substantial lead. Donehew got the party started by draining her fourth triple of the game, then Bell gave the Saints all that they could handle as she scored six consecutive points off hard moves to the basket. The Crusaders have seen glimpses of Bell’s ability as she can be a difference maker in a game. She is physically strong and has the ability to take any defender to the rim. Bell met and exceeded all expectations against the Saints as she finished the game with 18 points off the bench. The quarter ended with Donehew, Hughes, and Saunders all contributing in their own way giving the Crusaders a seven-point lead heading into the final quarter of play.
The fourth quarter was a game of cat-and-mouse and the Crusaders merely kept the lead out of reach of the Saints. The teams traded baskets back and forth keeping the lead around the seven-point mark until late in the quarter when Donehew and Bell stretched the lead to nine thanks to consecutive baskets. After the five-point run the Saints had no chance to catch up thanks to superb free throw shooting by a slew of Crusaders. In the last minute of play the Saints were desperate to keep their hopes alive, but a layup by Hughes sealed their fate as she pushed the Crusader lead to 15.
Individually, Donehew had another tremendous game finishing with 20 points and 7 rebounds while going 5 – 9 from the field. Kira Bell had one of her best games as a Crusader posting a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Saunders continues to impress post her injury as she posted a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.
The Crusaders now travel to Mount Olive this Saturday, February 23rd to take on the Trojans in their final conference game of the season. The Conference Carolinas tournament awaits the Crusaders after the final game of the season.
