TAMPA, Fla. – A late offensive surge wasn't enough for the Saint Leo women's basketball team at Tampa on Wednesday in an 85-78 final. The Lions and Spartans matched bucket for bucket in the first half of the Sunshine State Conference matchup. A hard third quarter handed Saint Leo a 15-point hole to climb out of in the fourth. The Lions almost did just that, as a late offensive surge cut the gap down to three points in the last seconds of the game.

"I am proud of our overall effort tonight," said head coach Anthony Crocitto. "The game switched venues last minute and we had to focus fast. We played hard and fought for 40 minutes."
 
Tori dominated at times tonight. Meanwhile, Amanda is showing signs of rebounding from injury; her guard play will only get stronger."
 
Tori Lesko scored 14 points in the first quarter alone, on her way to a 21-point performance. She also led the Green and Gold off the window with a team-high nine rebounds. The graduate student was helped by teammates Amanda Ulrich and Kiki McIntyre, each contributing 17 points. Alex Button joined the trio in scoring double digits with 10 points.
 
Alani Gallagher recorded the first points of the game which was followed by a back-and-forth battle between the conference foes. Lesko's back-to-back buckets recorded the quarter's largest lead, 6-2 at 7:41. The Spartan's responded with their own equalizing four-point run. The teams matched points, often inside the paint, up until the last minute of the quarter. Tampa's pair of free throws tied it up at 16. The white and red jerseys forced a turnover and made a jumper to take the lead, 18-16. Lesko answered and raised the Spartans two for a Saint Leo 20-18 first quarter lead. Lesko closed the first 10 minutes with an explosive 14 points from a perfect 7-for-7 performance from the field.  
 
The second quarter remained tight, this time Tampa saw a four-point lead (26-22) at 6:07 following a layup and jumper. The scales tipped again after Alex Button sunk a three-pointer, earned a steal, and laid in another bucket, 29-28 at 3:28. Tampa recaptured the lead in the final minute of the half, with a layup and two points at the charity stripe, 37-35.
 
Tampa changed the game in the third quarter, propelling their lead into double-digits. The Spartan's offensive surge came in the form of a 10-0 run at 3:47, moving the previous score from a close 52-50 to 62-50. Lesko's free throw ended the third quarter with Saint Leo trailing 62-51.
 
The Spartans quick start to the fourth recorded their largest lead of game at 15 (66-51). The Lions fought back, as they were able to slash the gap back down to five points (73-68). The thrilling comeback efforts saw a Saint Leo 9-0 run at 3:39. Another five-point punch shrunk the gap to four (79-75) with a long 36 seconds left on the clock. At 25 seconds, Saint Leo called a timeout after Tampa put in a pair of free throws, 81-75. The timeout scheme was executed perfectly as Ulrich sank a three-pointer to bring the game within a single possession. The Lions' late efforts fell short as opportunities for the Green and Gold didn't succeed while Tampa secured the win at the line for the 85-78 final.

Up Next
Saint Leo is slated to continue action on Saturday against Rollins at 2 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.

Keeping Our Lions Healthy & Safe
Saint Leo University Athletics is keeping our student-athletes healthy and safe by following a number of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This includes having student-athletes tested or screened on a regular basis, traveling in smaller groups, holding competitions without fans in attendance, avoiding overnight trips, and wearing masks when not competing. These safety standards meet those set by the NCAA Division II and the Sunshine State Conference President's Council. At Saint Leo University, the COVID-19 Incident Command Team also reviews the teams' safety protocol and monitors adherence on a regular basis.