LAKELAND, Fla. – Florida Southern College topped Saint Leo women's basketball 68-52 in mid-week Sunshine State Conference action.

Delaney Bernard showcased a perfect shooting day going 5-of-5 on the floor, 3-of-3 in three-pointers.

Alani Gallagher helped efforts scoring 11 points, earning nine rebounds. Gina Brierley added 10-points, three rebounds and three assists.

Head Coach Anthony Crocitto commented, "I really believed we proved tonight that this program is going in the right direction, we showed passion and execution. In the end, we couldn't make the plays that we needed to make in order to beat a team this good. I respect what Betsy does here, she has kids that make plays, and we are getting there. We are executing game plans, following scouting reports and we are fighting but we just couldn't score in the first half."

Crocitto continued, "Obviously Delaney Bernard was awesome and Alani Gallagher had a good second half. These freshmen are not freshmen; they are basketball players. I am just proud of the program tonight. I usually don't like moral victories but tonight was a good one."

 
The Basics
Final Score: Florida Southern College Moccasins 68, Saint Leo University Lions 52
Location: Lakeland, Fla. | Jenkins Field House
Records: FSC 15-3, 10-2 SSC | SLU 8-12, 3-9 SSC
 
How It Happened...
1Q | Florida Southern's Camille Giardina hit a three, lifting the Mocs 10-4 at 3:18. Nikira Hooks added two more to Saint Leo's count on the free throw line. Montia Moon's layup with 1:04 left in the quarter kept the Mocs lead to six. | Florida Southern 14-8 |
2Q |The Mocs outscored Saint Leo 11-1 during mid-quarter minutes six and five, 25-13. Florida Southern's defense only allowed five points after the media timeout at 5:02. The Lions points came from Gina Brierley jumper at 3:53 and a free throw by Alani Gallagher and a pair of free throws by Day Jackson. | Florida Southern 30-18 |
3Q |Brierley's three at 8:05 moved the boards to 33-23. Two minutes later, Delaney Bernard's three cut the Mocs lead back down to single figures, 36-28. Bernard struck again at 4:10 and 1:18, resetting her scoring career-high. | Florida Southern 50-36 |
4Q | Alani Gallagher posted six points in the first three minutes of the quarter. Mary Redmond's bucket beyond the arch at 5:06 shortened the Mocs lead to 10, 55-44. | Florida Southern 68-52 |
 
Points to Note

• Three Lions scored double digits: Delaney Bernard (13), Alani Gallagher (11), Gina Brierley (10). Saint Leo finished the night shooting .419 (18-43).
• Bernard's career-high came with a perfect shooting night. The freshman guard went 5-5 against the regionally ranked Mocs defense.
• Gallagher added nine rebounds to her 11-point day in 31 minutes of action.
• Gina Brierley and Madelin Lang earned three assists.

For Florida Southern

• Camille Giardina became Florida Southern's 22^nd member of the 1,000-point club. On the night, she bucketed four three-pointers scoring 24 points.
• Anja Fuchs-Robetin tallied her 11^th double double of the season. She leads the SSC in double doubles and ranks 10^th nationally. Against the Lions, she scored 25 points, grabbed 13 rebounds.
• The Mocs extend win streak to eight.

The Lions return home to the Marion Bowman Activities Center on Saturday, February 27. Saint Leo will host Embry-Riddle starting at 5:30 p.m. Last meeting, Saint Leo upset the nationally ranked Eagles 44-34 in November on the East coast.  

For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo women's basketball, be sure to 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.