Staff report

MARS HILL — Mars Hill rallied from 13 points down in the final quarter to upset visiting Catawba, 55-53, in South Atlantic Conference women’s basketball action on Saturday afternoon.

The Lions improve to 4-16 overall and 2-12 in the SAC, while the Indians fall to 13-6 and 10-4.

Catawba, playing without leading rebounder and second-leading scorer Terri Rogers, and in foul trouble much of the game, built a 49-36 with 6:21 to play after consecutive 3-pointers by Elizabeth Webb. Alexis Newbold made it 51-40 with five minutes to go, but that would be the last field goal for the Indians.

Mars Hill crept within 51-45 before Serena Brown made two free throws with 2:11 gave Catawba its last points and an eight-point lead.

Two free throws from Paige Chavis and a 3-pointer by Sydney Comer drew the Lions to within 53-50 at the 1:23-mark.

Catawba’s Bri Johnson fouled out on an offensive foul on a back-door layup and Chavis tied the game on a 3-pointer with 40 seconds remaining.

Catawba turned the ball over with 14 seconds left, the fifth in its final seven possessions, and Madison Ervin’s driving layup with six seconds to play gave the Lions their only lead of the game.

Webb’s 3-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark.

Chavis, from Lexington and Central Davidson High School, scored 17 points to lead Mars Hill. Ervin added 13 off the bench and Comer chipped in with 11 points. Brown and Webb led Catawba with 14 points each. Marshauna Butler had 10 rebounds for the Indians.

Catawba shot just 31 percent for the second straight game, making only 19-of-61 shots. Ten of those baskets were three-point field goals. The Indians shot just eight free throws, making five.

Mars Hill canned 35 percent from the floor (17-of-48) in the win. The Lions hit 15-of-21 at the foul line.

Catawba is on the road Wednesday, traveling to Lenoir-Rhyne for a 6 pm tip.

CATAWBA (53) — Butler, Newbold 6, Brown 14, Webb 14, Johnson 9, Franklin, Hodges 2, Tucker 5, Hallman 3, Angelo.

MARS HILL (55) — Farmer 7, Edwards 5, Comer 11, Chavis 17, Pokrovskaya 2, Reed, Ervin 13, Brooks, Robinson.

Catawba      14    9    18    12 — 53

Mars Hill    10    5    16    24 — 55