Newberry, S.C. — The stakes could not have been higher for the Limestone University Women's Basketball team in Wise, Virginia today, with a head-to head battle for the South Atlantic Conference playoff spots ensuing against UVA Wise. The Highland Cavaliers came into the night with a 7-10 conference record, being the last team out of the current bracket, all the while chasing a Limestone team whose conference record sat at 8-9. The game echoed that close battle with no team ever leading by more than 10 before Overtime. Limestone was up early but fell behind significantly during the 4th quarter. The Saints women battled back and equalized with under 30 seconds to go, and did not look back in OT with a quick 11-0 run to secure what would later be the 87-79 decision. With this win, the Saints improve to 13-9 (9-9 SAC), while UVA Wise drops to 10-12 (7-11 SAC).  

Key Players:  

• Reagan Kargo (Summerfield, N.C.), continued her stellar play with a 24-point showing, equalling her season-high. Kargo, who has had 3 20+-point games in her last 4 appearances, went 4-6 from 3-point range and added 4 Rebounds and 3 Assists. 

• Amara Newsom (Kennesaw, Ga.) was an efficient 7-12 from the floor, totalling her 17 points to go along with 6 Rebounds, 2 Assists and 2 Steals. 

• Graycie Poe (Bicknell, In.) chipped in 12 total point and an impressive 5 Rebounds, 5 Assists and 2 Blocks. 

• Kalisha Hill (Saluda, S.C.) came onto the scene in the 4th quarter and Overtime period and ended up with 13 points, 2 Steals and 7 Rebounds 

STORY OF THE GAME:  

First Quarter:  

• It was the Highland Cavaliers that jumped on the board first. Sable Burnside hit a second-chance jump shot to take the 2-0 lead on a play that would define some of the Saints difficulties in this Saturday afternoon affair. On the one hand, Burnside, being electric on both ends of the floor, would end up with a 30-point, 5-blockss and 6-rebounds performance. On the other hand, Limestone had to compensate for a -11 margin in Rebounds. 

• Limestone did so by decisively winning the Turnover margin 23-11 and scoring 22 points off Turnovers compared to Wise's 10. One of those, was an early Hill jump shot, which was part of a Limestone run, that forced UVA Wise to take its first Timeout with 6:11 to go in the 1st, with the score being 8-2 in favor of the Saints. 

• The first deep connection of the night came at the hand of Kargo, giving Limestone a 13-3 lead, the largest they would hold for all of regulation. Wise cut the lead to 17-11 in favor of the Blue and Gold after 1 period of play. 

Second Quarter:  

• The game continued to be a lower-scoring battle for the remainder of the 1st half. A lot of Free Throws on both sides had the Cavaliers back within one, at 22-21. 

• Dior Shelton (Bluffton, S.C.) and Megan Watson (Tampa, Fla.) looked to give the Saints some cushion, both draining a deep-ball in transition. 

• UVA Wise managed to even the game for the first time at 30, but a Poe driving layup with 4 seconds on the game clock send the Saints into halftime leading 32-30. 

Third Quarter:  

• The 3rd quarter wound up being a complete back-and forth affair as no team could establish a multi-possession lead. 

• Poe, Watson and Kargo (2) had 3-pointers fall for them in the quarter as the Cavaliers this time had the slight advantage, leading 55-53 before the last 10 minutes of regulation. 

Fourth Quarter:  

• Aniyah Jones (Grovetown, Ga.) found herself on the score sheet to start off the 4th quarter, draining a 3-ball and regaining the lead for the visitors at 56-55. 

• After the Limestone women hit a bit of a slump offensively, Wise managed to go on a 9-point run and held a dangerous-looking 64-56 lead with 06:30 to go in the final period. 

• It was then time for the Limestone post players to shine. Amara Newsom with 6 quick paint points and Hill with 3-4 from the foul line had Limestone smelling blood, trailing 68-67 with 3 minutes to go. 

• What ensued, was a rather curious sight. Possession after possession, both teams ended up with a score. Whether Jump Shot or 2 Free Throws, the lead for the Cavaliers kept hovering between 1 and 3. Finally, trailing by 1, Limestone managed to create two stops in a row and Coach Corey Fox set up a play for Kargo, who initially missed her Pull-Up Jump Shot but fought for her own rebound and was rewarded with 2 Foul Shots with 19 seconds left on the clock. 

• Kargo had to live with a rare miss on her first shot but tied the game at 74-74 with her second one. UVA Wise could not connect on their last opportunity and the two teams headed back to their benches, preparing for an additional 5 minutes of play. 

Overtime:  

• The Limestone women wasted no time to demonstrate their will to not leave with empty hands and went on an 11-point scoring barrage. Kargo connected on her 4th Triple of the day, Hill and Poe converted layups. 

• The closet the Cavaliers would ever come in the OT period was 7 points and therefore it was Jones who could finish off the night with a Free Throw and the score at 87-79. 

Up Next:  

Limestone will return home after a 3-game road stint, hosting Wingate in what is considered the Limestone Women's Basketball Golden Game. The game will be played on Wednesday, Feb 12th. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 PM.