FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- The Methodist women's basketball team dropped an 81-70 decision to Ferrum on Saturday afternoon at the March F. Riddle Center on its annual Play 4Kay day.
 
As part of the Play 4Kay initiative, the Monarchs hosted many cancer survivors at the game, sold t-shirts and conducted a silent auction, and welcomed Fayetteville Roller Derby to the Riddle Center in their continuing effort to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer research. Methodist will donate half the funds raised at today's game, and in the weeks leading up to the contest, to the Cape Fear Valley Friends of the Cancer Center and half to the Kay Yow Fund.
 
The Monarchs, who saw a three-game win streak come to an end, made a late push after falling behind by as many as 16 points in the second half, but could not close the gap.
 
Jacole Hairston, who led all scorers with 24 points, gave the Panthers (10-8, 8-4 USA South) a 16-point advantage (60-44) with 8:31 to play. However, the Monarchs began to chip away at the lead and manage to pull within five points (66-61) with 4:02 to play. The Green and Gold took advantage of the long ball during the run, as Kayla Pless knocked down a pair of three pointers and Monique Lofton added one.
 
Six points would be as close as the Monarchs would get down the stretch, as Ferrum had an answer for each run made by the Monarchs. MU pulled to within six points in the final minute, but Ferrum made its last eight free-throw attempts to seal the win.
 
For the game, Ferrum shot 52.5 percent (31-59) from the floor, and 77.3 percent from the line (17-22), while holding a 48-21 edge in rebounding. Methodist shot 39.1 percent (25-64), including 32.1 percent (9-28) from beyond the arc. The Monarchs forced Ferrum into 26 turnovers and blocked eight shots as a team.
 
Lofton led MU in scoring with 15 points, Jalisia Campbell had 14 points, five rebounds and four steals, and Alexis Wallace (12) and Sydney Bryan (10) reached double figures in scoring as well. Bryan also pulled down a team-high six rebounds and blocked six shots.
 
In addition to Hairston's 24 points, Kemani Crawford finished with a double-double of 20 points and 16 rebounds, and Zarkia Mattox contributed 17 points and 13 rebounds.
 
Methodist will host Mary Baldwin on Sunday beginning at 2:00 pm.