WINTER PARK, Fla. – The Saint Leo women's basketball team upset Rollins 53-51 on Saturday in comeback buzzer beater fashion. Casey Wortley rounded off an 18-point performance with a game-winning jumper with 1.2 seconds left on the clock.
 
Saint Leo (9-12, 4-9 SSC) overcame a six-point deficit after the first quarter led by three double-figure scorers. Wortley paced the Lions with a game-high 18 points going 8-for-17 from the field. She was joined by Asia Royster and Gina Brierley who each tallied double-digit points with 10, respectively. Alani Gallagher earned a game-high nine rebounds for the Green and Gold.
 
Rollins (9-10, 6-7 SSC) was led by Carly McLendon with 12 points, who tied the game at 51-51, but the 28 seconds would be just enough for Brierley to connect with Wortley for the game. The Tars also saw Vernisha Andrews with 10 points and seven rebounds. Taniyah Pluviose snatched a team-high eight rebounds in the Tars 44 team rebounds over the Lions game total of 34.

"I am so happy and proud for this group," said head coach Anthony Crocitto. "Casey and Gina worked all the magic on the last possession. Casey's shot was nothing short of big-time. 

Crocitto continued, "Alani Gallagher was excellent today. She controllled the glass for us down the stretch while hitting huge buckets. Madelin Lang and Asia controlled many possessions on both ends of the floor for us in the second half." Crocitto concluded simple staying, "I need them to stay hungry."
 
How It Happened

• Rollins came out hot, earning an eight-point run to silence Saint Leo. Brierley and Olivia Lough started to make some noise, 10-6 at 6:13. The Lions added three more points at the line but fell behind 17-11 after the first quarter.
• Rollins attempted to make multiple runs but Saint Leo kept the Tars highest lead to six points in the second quarter. Saint Leo earned a four-point run off Gallagher's pair of free throws and a Wortley jumper at 00:56 to cut the Tars advantage to its slimmest, 26-24. Rollins' Vernisha Andrews snuck in a bucket before the break, 28-24.
• Wortley continued her work in the paint, dropping a bucket at 7:44, 30-28. Brierley helped keep the Tars in reach, hitting a shot at 4:22, 36-34. Rollins went on a 5-0 run for the largest lead since the first quarter, 41-34. The seven-point gap didn't last as the Lions closed out the third on a seven-point run to tie the game 41-41.
• Wortley's three-pointer, her only bucket from downtown in Winter Park, caused the first lead change of the game at 7:14, 44-43. The possession battled heated up. Gallagher snatched a rebound and finished the play at the other end, 47-45. Wortley mimicked in the following play, registering a defensive rebound and layup for a four-point cushion, 49-45.
• Carly McLendon's fastbreak layup leveled the scoreboard at 51 with 28 seconds left for the Lions offense to make something happen. Brierley found Wortley, Wortley spun around threw up a fadeaway jumper just in time for the 53-51 victory. 

Up Next
Saint Leo returns home to the Marion Bowman Activities Center on Wednesday, Feb. 6 to host the Lynn Fighting Knights at 5:30 p.m.
 
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.