Boxscore

SALISBURY, NC – The senior guard-forward tandem of Allison Sikes (Richmond, Va.) and Le'Kiesha White (Richmond, Va.) nearly led Saint Augustine's College to victory on Monday.

Sikes scored a season-high 29 points and White added 22 points, 16 rebounds and six steals for the Lady Falcons, who lost 84-80 to Livingstone in a CIAA women's basketball contest at Trent Gymnasium. The Lady Falcons (11-8 overall, 5-4 CIAA, 0-3 Southern Division) dropped their third consecutive game with all three losses coming in the Southern Division.

The Lady Falcons gave a yeoman's effort in their latest defeat. Dressing only eight players, the Lady Falcons kept pace with a much improved Livingstone team (12-4, 7-2 CIAA, 2-1 Southern Division) for much of the contest. Even when the Lady Blue Bears opened an 11-point lead with 8:55 remaining, the Lady Falcons found a way to claw back in the game.

Sikes scored 17 points and White added 13 points, six rebounds and five steals in the second half, including a steal which led to her canning two free throws for a 78-77 Lady Falcons lead with 52.9 seconds left. The Lady Blue Bears answered right back with a Cassandra Rhodes' three-point play which started a game-clinching 7-2 run.

Rhodes, a forward, finished with 16 points while forward Brittany Wright had 23 points and 12 rebounds for the Lady Blue Bears, who used their inside game and depth to slip past the Lady Falcons. Reserve forward Jasmine Murray added 10 points for the Lady Blue Bears, who outscored the Lady Falcons in the paint (28-18) and in bench points (26-11).

The Lady Falcons rarely led, but their defense led to 31 points off 23 Livingstone turnovers to hang around and offset 32 percent shooting. Sikes added three steals and junior guard Brittany Torain (Warner Robins, Ga.) had two steals.

The Lady Falcons will attempt to regroup with three consecutive home games coming up. The first one is Saturday versus Fayetteville State in Emery Gymnasium at 2 p.m.