MURFREESBORO, N.C. – The Chowan Women's Basketball team gave the Limestone Saints all they could handle in the final regular season game of the year on Tuesday evening in Conference Carolinas action.

THE BASICS

FINAL | Chowan 72, Limestone 78

RECORDS | Chowan 6-20 (6-16), Limestone 20-8 (15-7)

LOCATION | Murfreesboro, N.C. (Helms Center)

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

Destiny Robinson led the team with a double-double posting 15 points and 10 rebounds.  Mariah Coker and Demetria Bland tallied 13 points each.

Olivia Gaither scored nine points off the bench.

Chowan shot 58.8% in the second quarter to lead 46-44.

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Quarter:

Limestone raced out to an early 10-2 lead as Destiny Robinson recorded the lone points for the Hawks.  Emaree Hinton posted a layup to end the run.

Destiny Robinson tallied the next seven points for the Hawks to close the gap to 15-11.

Demetria Bland and Olivia Gaither secured a layup before Bland knocked down a triple to cut the deficit to 21-18 with 1:16 remaining.

Brelynn Young scored on a jumper in the paint to trail 21-20 at the end of the quarter.

Second Quarter:

Olivia Gaither connected from the floor to give the Hawks their first lead of the contest, 22-21.  Limestone would go on a quick 6-0 run to lead 27-22.

Mariah Coker hit a deep two followed by a triple by Olivia Gaither to knot the score at 27-all.  Demetria Bland produced a three-point play to lead 30-28.

The Saints looked to pull away with quick runs but Aniah Patterson scored the next two buckets and Mariah Coker added a layup to even the score at 36-all.

Brianna Copeland started an 8-0 run at the charity stripe followed by back-to-back triples by Mariah Coker to put the Hawks ahead 44-39.

Demetria Bland added a layup in transition to lead 46-44 at the end of the first half.

Third Quarter:

The Saints opened up the half with a 7-0 run to lead 51-46 and force a Chowan timeout.  Out of the break, Destiny Robinson added a layup and Mariah Coker connected from deep to even the score yet again.

Emaree Hinton and Teylahna Green added baskets and Jahkeria Bagby would go 1-2 from the line to trail 59-56.

Fourth Quarter:

Chowan continued the fight with a 7-0 run to open the quarter to lead 63-59.  Monique Jones started the run with a layup followed by a 1-2 effort by Demetria Bland at the stripe.  Olivia Gaither and Destiny Robinson added layups during the run.

Demetria Bland posted a layup before a 10-0 run by the Saints pushed their lead to 72-65 with 4:12 remaining.  Destiny Robinson ended the run with a layup.  Jahkeria Bagby went 2-2 from the charity stripe.

With just over a minute to play, Kaylah Henderson cut the deficit to two, 74-72, with a three pointer.  Limestone answered at the other end to seal the victory.

UP NEXT

Chowan secured the eighth seed in the Conference Carolinas Women's Basketball Championship, thanks to Southern Wesleyan defeating Erskine.  The Hawks will travel to Belmont, N.C. to take on nationally-ranked Belmont Abbey on March 3.