LAURINBURG — Through three quarters of its Appalachian Athletic Conference tilt against Columbia College (S.C.) Wednesday, the St. Andrews University women’s basketball team led by four points and appeared on the cusp of its first conference win.

The Knights led 51-47 heading into the fourth quarter, but the Koalas outscored St. Andrews 28-23 in the final period to edge the hosts 75-74 on Harris Court. Briana Johnson sank the game-winning layup in the final seconds to lift Columbia to its fourth AAC win.

St. Andrews (2-15, 0-11 in the AAC) outrebounded Columbia 43-34 and forced the Koalas to commit 23 turnovers, but the Knights only shot 35 percent from the field while the visitors connected on 53 percent of their shots.

Senior forward Alana Artis paced St. Andrews with 22 points, nine rebounds and six steals. Senior guard Alexis Redd added 14 points, seven rebounds and seven assists while freshman guard Kelsey Houser added 12 points and four assists. Sophomore guard Taylor Sehm-Crowley netted 10 points, and senior forward Alexus Davis nearly tallied a double-double, scoring eight points to go along with 15 rebounds.

Columbia (6-12, 4-6 in the AAC) was led by Johnson’s 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists while Kinsley Hall tacked on 19 points and six rebounds.

St. Andrews returns to the court Saturday at noon when it welcomes Milligan (TN) to Laurinburg.

Alana Artis
https://www.laurinburgexchange.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_alana_artis.jpgAlana Artis

Staff report