SAINT LEO, Fla. – Despite as a much as a 13-point first half lead, the Saint Leo women’s basketball team (7-9, 0-6 SSC) were edged by the Rollins College Tars (15-2, 3-2 SSC), 66-60, Saturday afternoon from the Marion Bowman Activities Center in Sunshine State Conference action.
Three Lions poured in double figures including Brittany Carannante as she led the team with 18-points on 5-of-10 shooting from the three-point line. Carannnate also collected a team-best two blocks and added three steals. Lauren Lee solidified her fifth double-double of the year as she went off for 15 points and a team-high 11 boards. Over 39 minutes played, Lee also set a career-high in steals with five. Jamarra Robinson posted a 10-point evening and led the group with four assists.
The bench proved to be the difference in the game as the Tars’ pair of Sarah Blackburn and Kristina Mingos combined to score 27 of the team’s 36 bench points, helping erase a Lions’ 13-point lead.
Saint Leo, behind a pair of three-point baskets by Carannante, exploded out of the gate to take an early 13-3 lead, putting the Tars on their heels. A basket by Rollins only momentarily slowed the Lions, as Carannante struck again to put the Lions up 18-7 with 12:10 left to play.
However, after stretching the lead to 13, 20-7, Rollins began to chip away at the Lions’ lead. The Tars strung together eight straight points to cut the advantage to 20-15.
With the lead hovering around five for the remainder of the half, the two teams exchanged baskets up until the final minute when Blackburn hit a three to make the make the score 36-33 going into the break.
Four straight points out of halftime turned the lead back in favor of Rollins for the just the second time in the game. It was followed by the second 8-0 rally of the day by the Tars, as they claimed a 47-41 lead on a Jasmine Cohen jumper with 12:12 left to play.
Rollins held their lead, answering each the Lions’ challenge’s over the final 10 minutes of the game. Slowly, the visitor’s began to expand their lead. Mingos banked in a three and followed with a pair of free throws to earn a 10-point lead, 62-52.
Carannante did not let the Lions go away quietly though as she hit a three-pointer with 2:04 left to shrink the lead to seven. A basket by Robinson, followed by a free throw by Chelsea Williams put the score at 64-60 with 50 seconds left to play. Unfortunately, Saint Leo could not pull any closer as Heistan iced the game with a pair of free throws.
The Lions were out-rebounded 57-44. In addition, Rollins converted 24 Saint Leo turnovers into 19 points.
Saint Leo will continue Sunshine State Conference play on Wednesday, January 19, as Eckerd College comes to the Bowman Center for a critical SSC showdown. Tip-off for the game is set for 5:30 p.m. It will also mark the first Green & Gold Appreciation Day of the 2010-11 basketball season.
