LAKELAND, Fla. – The Saint Leo women's basketball team (0-1) held a lead over the No. 14 Lee Flames (1-0) for 20 minutes in Friday's season opener at the Gulf South / Sunshine State Conference Challenge hosted by Florida Southern. Despite the Lions' efforts, Lee captured a 75-66 final. Saint Leo saw four earned double-digit points combined with Alex Button's 10 work off the iron.
 
Saint Leo was paced by Gina Brierley with 21 points. She was helped by Alani Gallagher with 12, Amanda Ulrich with 11, and Casey O'Shaughnessy with 11. Ulrich closed out her first collegiate game just shy of a double-double with nine rebounds.

"Gina played phenomenally," said head coach Anthony Crocitto. "She did a lot of things on the court for us today, including being a leader."

Crocitto continued, "Amanda and Casey did great. How could you not be proud of freshmen guards going toe-to-toe with some of the best in the nation?"
 
Saint Leo notched an 11-point lead twice against the Flames. The Lions earned their first largest lead at 1:33 left the first quarter and 9:42 in the second quarter, off a good-pointer three by Brierley. Lee responded, slicing the Green and Gold's lead to five. The Flames continued to press, closing the gap to two points with 3:11 remaining in the half. With 1.2 seconds left in the half, Lee's Nicky Widenski drew the foul and sunk her second toss for a 33-33 tied ball game.
 
The Flames heated up in the fourth quarter to still the show and ultimately the victory. Lee pivoted the scoreboard in a three-minute stretch putting up a 12-point run. The run not only tied it up but took a nine-point lead at 67-58, with 2:45 ticks left in the game.

"Tomorrow we can't allow unforced turnovers. Alabama-Huntsville is very good and we can't let our guard down. We have to come out and earn a 'w' tomorrow," concluded Crocitto.
 
Beyond The Boxscore

• Brierley tied her 2018-19 season-high of 21 points to open her senior campaign. The senior guard's career-high remains at 24 points against Barry during the 2017-18 season.
• O'Shaughnessy opened her collegiate career with a double-figure performance of 11 points.
• Ulrich also broke out double-digits in her first collegiate appearance tallying 11 points, nine rebounds.

Up Next
The GSC/SSC Challenge holds day two action between Saint Leo and Alabama-Huntsville. The Lions and Chargers are set to tip-off tomorrow, Sat. 9 at noon.
 
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.