GAFFNEY, S.C. – The Converse University men's basketball team fell 73-64 to the Limestone Saints on Monday afternoon at the Timken Center in Gaffney, S.C.
 
Converse won the opening tip-off but a travel call turned the ball over to the Saints. Isayah Owens scored the opening basket of the game and started the game on an 8-0 run. Jimmie Sanders III scored the Valkyries first point of the game at the free throw line.
 
Elijah Pitts drove down the lane with 12:40 to play in the opening half to score the Valkyries first points from the field. On the Valkyries next possession, Sanders III scored a fast break layup and the Valkyries trailed 12-6. By the second media timeout the Valkyries had clawed their way back into the match and trailed 14-10 with 11 minutes to play in the period.
 
Coming out of the media timeout the Valkyries made a defensive stand and Jay Mitchell (Clemmons, N.C.) scored a fastbreak layup pulling Valkyries within two points of the Saints. Moments later Sanders found Mitchell for the go-ahead alley-oop slam. Riding a 7-0 run, Converse took a 17-14 advantage heading into the third media timeout of the period.
 
With 2:22 remaining in the period the squads were deadlocked at 22. Wes Morgan (Charlotte, N.C.) knocked down a fade away mid-range jumper to give the Valkyries the lead. Following a defensive stop, Lorange scored a fastbreak layup to increase the Converse advantage. However, the Saints finished the half on a 6-0 run to take a 28-26 lead going into the halftime break.
 
Converse began the second half with the ball and Lorange scored on the Valkyries opening possession. With a 29-28 advantage the Valkyries shut the Saints down on their first possession of the half and forced an early turnover. Over the next several minutes of game time the two teams traded baskets but an Earl Burgess III (Spartanburg, S.C.) dunk gave the Valkyries a 36-34 edge over the Saints.
 
Over the next several minutes of game time the Saints started to chip away at the Valkyries lead. With 12:38 to play in the period, Limestone retook the lead at 43-41 and prompted Converse head coach Ryan Saunders to call a timeout. With 11:18 to play in the period Sanders III hit a pair of free throws to tie the game at 46. On the Valkyries next possession, Morgan gave the Valkyries a 49-46 lead with a three-pointer.
 
Following a media timeout at the 7:34 mark of the second half the Saints used a 6-0 run to take a 57-51 advantage over the Valkyries. A quick timeout by the Converse coaching staff helped slow down the Saints run. Nate Gordon scored out of the timeout break to help the Valkyries get back into an offensive rhythm. On the Valkyries next possession Jordan Warlick (Irmo, S.C.) hit his first three-pointer of the game to pull Converse within a pair of Limestone.
 
Both teams traded buckets over the next several minutes of game time before Limestone started to pull away from the Valkyries. The Saints made their free throws down the stretch and the Valkyries dropped their third straight road matchup of the week.
 
A trio of Valkyries ended the game in double-figures on Monday afternoon, Lorange led the team with 14-points while Sanders III and Morgan both contributed 10-points in the loss. Elijah Pitts led the team with 7-rebounds while Sanders III led the team with 7-assists in the game.T
 
Next Up:
The men's basketball team will be back against the Winthrop Eagles on December 31^st in Rock Hill, S.C. tip-off is slated for a 1:00 p.m. start.
 
Follow Converse
https://www.facebook.com/ConverseValkyries
Twitter: @Valkyries_MBB
Instagram: @valkyries_mbb
Youtube.com/Converse Athletics