SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Saint Leo women's basketball team suffered a heartbreaking 67-65 loss to the Florida Southern Moccasins, ranked 10^th in the South Region, on Wednesday in the Marion Bowman Activities Center. The Sunshine State Conference battle came down to the wire, when a last-second layup lifted the Mocs over the Lions, overcoming a 16-point deficit.
 
Saint Leo (9-11, 5-7 SSC) won the first half. The Green and Gold outscored Florida Southern (12-8, 9-3 SSC) 17-13 in the first quarter and 15-10 in the second. Amanda Ulrich nailed a jumper to give the Lions their largest lead of 16 points, 43-27 at the seventh-minute mark of the third.
 
The Lions' dominant start was driven by Alex Button, who recorded a career-high 29 points. The sophomore guard went 9-for-19, 6-for-10 from downtown, and a perfect 5-for-5 on the line. She added nine rebounds and an assist to her stellar performance.
 
The Mocs caught fire in the fourth quarter, shooting a collective .529-percent (9-for-17) from the floor. They put up a clean sheet on the line and three-point range, hitting 6-of-6 free throws and made the lone three-point attempt. The offensive onslaught combined for a 25-point final quarter.
 
The decision came down to the last 95 seconds of the game. Florida Southern forced the lead change on the line, 63-62. Amanda Ulrich hit a deep three-pointer to get back on top, 65-63. With the ball in hand, Florida Southern was able to wind down the clock to 48 seconds and sink the equalizing layup. On the other side of the court, the ball bounced off the iron and into the hands of Mocs, who called a timeout with 21 seconds remaining. With less than a second on the clock, the visitors netted the game-winning layup for a 67-65 final.
 
"We are certainly very disappointed with the loss as we could have beaten a three-year regional powerhouse," said head coach Anthony Crocitto. "Our discipline on defense in the second half wasn't the same as in the first half."
 
Despite the loss, Crocitto was happy to highlight Button. "I'm so proud of Alex Button. She is evolving into a top-tier player in this conference and will only continue to improve."  
 
Lastly, Crocitto thanked the energy that only fans in the Bowman Center can bring, "The crowd and energy was great, especially in the fourth quarter. Thank you for coming out as we continue to build this program."
 
Beyond the Boxscore

• Button's career-high 29-point game marked her 13^th double-digit game of her sophomore campaign.

 
Up Next
Saint Leo will face back-to-back games on the road, returning home on Saturday, Feb. 8. The Lions travel to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Saturday, Feb. 1 to face the Nova Southeastern Sharks. Following the weekend East coast trip, Saint Leo will head down I-275 to face the Tampa in a midweek tussle.  
 
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.