Emory, Va. — After a setback in the playoff race on Saturday, the Saints faced another playoff-clinching opportunity and did not have to be asked twice this time. Visiting the Wasps of Emory & Henry University, Limestone went out to a 13-point lead after the first 20 minutes and did not look back in the 2nd half, taking the game 74-63. Due to Lenoir-Rhyne's loss against Catawba on Wednesday night, this win secures Limestone a spot in the South Atlantic Conference Playoffs, returning to the tournament after an absence last season. With this victory Limestone improves to 15-12 (11-12 SAC), while Emory & Henry finishes their season at 7-23 (2-22 SAC).  

Key Players:  

• Reagan Kargo (Summerfield, N.C.) led the Saints in scoring with 17 points and complemented that performance on the defensive end with 2 Steals and a Block. 

• Kalisha Hill (Saluda, S.C.) continued her late-season form high and chipped in 16 points behind a perfect 8-8 foul shooting, while barely missing a Double-Double with 9 Rebounds. Hill added 3 Steals to her resume of the night. 

• Graycie Poe (Bicknell, In.) had herself a night on the helpers-end, dishing out 6 Assists, more than half of the Saints total tally. Poe also contributed 10 points. 

• Dior Shelton (Bluffton, S.C.) had herself a very efficient night, coming off the bench, but playing 24 minutes. Shelton went 3-3 on the offensive end, all 3 shots from behind the arc to total 9 points. 

STORY OF THE GAME:  

First Quarter:  

• The Wasps were first to score on the night, connecting on a Free Throw, but the Saints were the aggressor early. Poe and Kargo connected on Jump Shots and Amara Newsom (Kennesaw, Ga.) converted two lay-ins, giving Limestone a quick 8-1 lead. 

• The onslaught continued after the first media timeout as Hill swished a jump shot and Shelton was clean from distance to push the Saints to a 13-3 lead with 4 minutes remaining in the 1st. That bucket, however, would prove to be the last point of the period for the visitors, Emory & Henry managed to cut the deficit to 6 after 10 minutes of play. 

Second Quarter:  

• The Wasps would continue their comeback in the beginning of the 2nd quarter, cutting the lead to 13-11, but Newsom relieved the Saints from their 5-minute scoring drought with another layup. 

• That bucket broke the chains off for Limestone, the Wasps would not manage to crawl back into a one-possession game for the rest of the evening. Shelton connected on her second 3-pointer and Poe on another Jump Shot, quickly advancing the Saints lead to 20-11. 

• Late in the quarter it was time for Madison Clark (Kennesaw, Ga.) to make her name known in Virginia. Clark drew a foul and connected on one of her Free Throws, before following up with a contested layup. Kargo chipped in with a traditional 3-point play with 40 seconds to go in the half, but Clark also had the last word of first-half action, with an open lay-in as the horn buzzed. Limestone led 32-19. 

Third Quarter:  

• Megan Watson (Tampa, Fla.) had the first calling of the 2nd half and connected on a Jump Shot. Kargo followed her up with a 3-pointer from the wing and both found their name directly on the score sheet once more after back-to-back Jump Shots. 

• The biggest lead of the game thus far stood at 18, with the visitors leading 49-31 after Shelton drained a 3 from NBA-range and Kargo hit a float-shot in the lane with 4 minutes to go in the quarter. 

• The Wasps showed some life late in the 3rd, trimming the lead to 12, but a driving layup by Brynn Tabeling (Tuscola, Ill.) and Free Throws by Hill had Limestone leading 53-39 at the last intermission. 

Fourth Quarter:  

• Limestone found themselves at the foul line to begin the last period. Poe, Hill and Kargo all had a pair fall cleanly.  

• Two deep balls, one side-step 3-pointer by Tabeling and a high-arching 3 from the top of the circle at the hands of Kargo, gave Limestone the biggest lead it would reach all evening, having a 65-46 advantage. 

• While Emory & Henry had some last minute threats left for the Saints, the lead would never get back to single digits in the 2nd half. Poe had the last word for Limestone on a Jump Shot, giving her double digits on the night. A Wasp 3-pointer ended the evening with the final score 74-63. 

Up Next:  

Limestone will stay up in the Appalachians all weekend, making the short trip over to Harrogate, Tennessee, where they will cap off their 2024-25 regular season against the Lincoln Memorial University Railsplitters on Saturday, March 1st. LMU and Limestone are currently tied for 7th in the SAC standings and will play for the 7/8 seed line, as both the 6 and 9 seeds are out of reach. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 PM.