ST. AUGUSTINE –
Kierra Crane poured in a career-high 27 points, 16 in the first half alone, to lead Flagler College to a 78-70 win over Lincoln Memorial University in a mutual season opener Friday evening at Flagler Gymnasium.
Flagler wins its second consecutive season opener. Lincoln Memorial lost its second consecutive season opener.
"We are excited to get the first win of the season," said head coach
Erika Lang-Montgomery. "LMU did a nice job and made us work every possession. I thought we were a much better rebounding team in the second half.
"I am very proud of Kierra," added Lang-Montgomery. "She came off the bench and was assertive on offense. She has been putting in time in the gym and it paid off for her tonight."
The Saints used a 12-4 run late in the third quarter and early in the fourth quarter to erase a 53-49 deficit. Later, Sydney Duggins sank a pair of free throws to get the Railsplitters to within one point (65-64), but the Saints closed the game on a 13-6 run. Flagler shot 69.2 percent (9-13) from the field in the fourth quarter.
Crane was 8-for-12 from the field and made 7-of-10 from behind the arc.
Malaysia Robinson added 16 points, six rebounds, six assists while
Dayuna Johnson chipped in with 12 points.
Tabitha Odabe, a preseason all-conference selection, recorded a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
Duggins led Lincoln Memorial with 19 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Maggie Jachimczuk added 14 points while Rachel Griffith contributed 12 points. The Railsplitters turned the ball over 15 times, which led to 25 points for the Saints.
In the other game in the classic format tournament, Georgia Southwestern State University rolled to an 86-68 win over Limestone College.
Tomorrow, Georgia Southwestern takes on Lincoln Memorial at 2 p.m. Flagler hosts Limestone at 4 p.m. All games are at Flagler Gymnasium.
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