GAFFNEY — The Newberry College women’s basketball team was defeated by No. 11 Limestone College 56-41 on Saturday night.

Limestone got on the board first with a 3-pointer from Jasmine Kearse. Newberry got on the board shortly after with a jumper from Emily Perry at the 8:46 mark. Newberry didn’t score again until two minutes later when Jaya Schultz hit a free throw.

With four minutes left in the first quarter Meg Essex made a layup to cut Limestone’s lead to 8-5. Newberry scored five more points to end the quarter. Samara Hill drained a 3-pointer before Kirsten Dunsmore hit a jumper.

Essex’s jumper tied the score at 12-12 just 48 seconds into the second quarter. Nicola Handreck gave Newberry a 15-12 lead at the 8:25 mark off a 3-pointer. Limestone tied the game (15-15) a minute later with a 3-pointer from Kearse. Limestone scored four more points until Hill’s jumper cut the Saints lead to 19-17.

Hill hit another jumper with less than three minutes until halftime to be within one point of Limestone’s lead. Schultz and Essex both hit their jumpers in the last two minutes to attempt to take the lead. With 23 seconds left in the second quarter Essex made her jumper in the paint.

Going into the third quarter Limestone lead 30-25. Newberry got back on the board at the 8:23 mark with a jumper from Essex. Scoring was quiet from the Wolves side until the 5:48 mark when Essex made a free throw. Hill drained a 3-pointer with four minutes left in the quarter. Limestone took a 15 point lead going into the final quarter of the game (47-32).

Newberry scored nine points in the fourth quarter with four of those points coming from Perry. Essex hit a free throw two minutes in followed by a layup from Hannah Lepaio with five minutes left. Perry made a jumper in the paint and Mykell Sims also made a shot in the paint. Perry made the last bucket for Newberry with 2:18 left in the game.

Essex led the team in points with 12 followed by Hill who scored 10. Perry scored six, Handreck scored four, Schultz scored three, and Dunsmore, Sims, and Lepaio scored two apiece.

The Wolves travel are on the road again on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at Claflin University in Orangeburg. The game will start at 6 p.m. The home schedule begins with the South Atlantic Conference opener against Queens on Nov. 24.

This release was provided by Newberry College.