HARTSVILLE, S.C – The Coker College men's basketball team dropped a non-conference matchup to the visiting Limestone College Saints on Tuesday (Dec. 6) evening by a score of 88-77. 

Neither team could gain an advantage in the opening 7:30, with both sides tied at 16-16 with 12:30 left in the opening half. Coker pulled away over the next four minutes, taking a 29-21 lead with 7:50 left. The Cobras extended the lead to 11 at the 4:08 mark, however Limestone closed the gap to a five-point deficit at the half. The teams departed for the locker rooms at the half with Coker ahead 44-39.

Coker opened the second half on a 6-0 run, once again taking an 11-point lead. The Cobras kept the 11-point advantage all the way until the 11:24 mark, however a 11-0 response by the Saints over the next three and a half minutes tied the matchup up at 65-65 with 7:51 left. Limestone continued to surge ahead, taking a 75-67 lead with five minutes to go. The two sides traded buckets down the stretch; however, it was Limestone picking up the 88-77 win.

Jalal Abdul-Azeez led the way with 20 points off the bench. Roman Hall finished with 17 points, while Nathan Lemke and JaQuez Motley chipped in eight points apiece.

The Cobras will be back in action on Saturday (Dec. 10) when they travel to Brevard. Opening tip is set for 4 p.m.