FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- The Methodist women's basketball team opened the 2016-17 season with a 63-52 loss to Salem College on Tuesday evening at the March F. Riddle Center.
 
Salem's Sabrina Shepherd led all scorers with 29 points on 12 of 23 shooting, including 4 of 8 from three-point range, as the Spirits moved to 1-0 on the season. The Monarchs got 16 points from Kaneya Chambers, and Shelly McDonald nearly notched a double-double in her first career collegiate game with 15 points and nine rebounds. She also had three blocks.
 
The Monarchs shot just 20.0 percent from the field in the first half and were outscored 13-7 in the second quarter in falling behind 33-23 at the break. A jumper by Shepherd to open the third quarter pushed Salem's lead to 12 points (35-23) before a 10-0 run by the Monarchs over the next 5:26 put the score at 35-33 with 4:34 left in the quarter. McDonald fueled the run with five points and it was a layup by Amber Scott that capped the burst and pulled MU within a deuce.
 
The Spirits recovered however and Shepherd scored Salem's final six point of the quarter to re-establish a seven-point lead (46-39) entering the fourth quarter. Seven points would be as close as Methodist would get the rest of the way as Salem was able to regain a 12-point lead in the game's final minutes and hold off the Monarchs down the stretch.
 
For the game, MU shot 26.1 percent (18-69) from the floor and just 10.5 percent (2-19) from long range. The Monarchs held Salem to 35.5 percent shooting (27-76) from the field, including 25.0 percent (5-20) from beyond the arc. The Green and Gold got the free-throw line 23 times, converting 14 attempts (.609), while Salem was just 4 of 8 (.500) from the charity stripe. Salem had a slight 53-51 edge on the glass and each team turned the ball over 17 times. The Spirits also recorded 15 assists to seven for Methodist.
 
McDonald finished 5 of 12 shooting from the floor and 5 of 7 from the line. Chambers chipped in six rebounds and two assists, and Jalisia Campbell added six points and nine boards. Christian Sanders had seven points, five rebounds and four steals.
 
In addition to Shepherd's 29 points, MiKayla Seivers and Dominique Cross each scored 14 and Seivers flirted with a triple-double, adding 10 rebounds and seven assists.
 
The Monarchs are back in action on Saturday in the first day of the Jean Edge Classic hosted by N.C. Wesleyan. Methodist will take on Randolph College beginning at 5:00 pm.