Cobras Fall to Limestone in Home Opener on Wednesday

HARTSVILLE, S.C. - The Coker University men's basketball team dropped its home opener to visiting Limestone on Wednesday (Nov. 20) by a score of 73-66.

The Saints led 9-6 at the first media break, before the Cobras would out-score the Saints 8-4 to take a 14-13 lead at the under-12 media timeout. Noel Pinnock would score a layup to go up by three at the halfway point of the period, before KJ Harris put Coker's lead at five with nine and a half minutes to play in the half. The teams would play to a 22-22 tie with six and a half minutes to play in the half, before the teams would head into the final five minutes of the half tied at 26. The Saints would head to the half with a five-point lead after Joseph Battle scored an old-fashioned three-point play in the final 10 seconds of the period.

Battle and Ryan Carfley would trade buckets to open the half, before a layup from Royce Hunter would get the Cobras back within one possession two minutes in. Limestone would build its lead up to eight around the 14-minute mark, before the Cobras would get back within one possession with a three-pointer from Hunter with less than 12 minutes to play. Coker would erase Limestone's five-point lead with a three-pointer from Chris Swiney and a bucket from Williams Oneyodi, before the Saints would rebuild their five point lead with under nine minutes to play in the half. The Saints would increase their lead to nine just past a media timeout, before the Cobras would get back within six with four minutes to play. The Saints would extend their lead to as many as 10 in the final three minutes to hang on for the road victory.

Hunter was the lone Cobra in double-figures with a game-high 23 points, while nine others scored for Coker in the contest. The Cobras out-rebounded Limestone 27-25 in the game, led by five boards each from Chandler Lindsey and Williams Oneyodi. Dakota Jennings pulled down four rebounds in the game, while Pinnock, Hunter and Swiney each grabbed three. Sparky Fabre hauled in two rebounds, while Carfley and Malcolm Kennedy each registered one. Fabre recorded a team-high five assists, while Lindsey had three assists and Hunter also had two. Five other Cobras recorded one assists each in the contest. Piock and Oneyodi each had three steals, while Lindsey and Hunter each had one swipe in the game. Jennings also had the lone rejection in the game for the Cobras.

Coker (1-1) is back on the hardwood on Saturday (Nov. 23) when they travel to Greenwood, S.C. to face Lander. Tip-off for that contest is set for 3:00 p.m., with video and live stats available at www.cokercobras.com.

McDonald's Player of the Game - Royce Hunter