SAINT LEO, Fla. -- The Saint Leo women's basketball team edged visiting Barry University 59-54 Saturday afternoon in the Marion Bowman Athletic Center. Kinnara Lewis posted 13 of her 21 points in the second half to fend off a surging Barry offense.
The Lions attacked the Buccaneers in the first half, and set a quick pace Barry struggled to keep up with. Saint Leo battled an early deficit but a three-pointer from freshman Mary Redmond gave the Lions a lead they would never lose. Two anchors for Saint Leo's defense, Aaliyah Ramirez and Jakia Grimsley, turned in two strong offensive performances for the Lions, with seven and nine points respectively.
Saint Leo led by as many as nine, and entered the half with a 33-27 lead.
In the second half, the Buccaneers went on a 7-0 run and with eight minutes remaining in the contest, the momentum had shifted to Barry. Lewis had other plans. The senior launched a three as the shot clock expired and pushed Leo to a 52-48 advantage. The Lions kept the four-point lead, and despite Barry fouls, Saint Leo clinched a crucial Sunshine State Conference victory.
Jackson finished one rebound shy of a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds. The Green and Gold's defense provided 23 points on 18 Buccaneer turnovers. Saint Leo held one of the leagues top three-point shooters Jackie Perez (2.6 three-point field goals per game) to three points.
Saint Leo returns to the court Wednesday, February 4th at Florida Tech. Tip-off is slated for 5:30 pm in Melbourne, Fla.
For more information on the Saint Leo women's basketball program, visit SaintLeoLions.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
