Box Score St. Petersburg, Fla – The Saint Leo women's basketball team fell to #9/#17 Eckerd College Saturday afternoon. The Tritons defeated the Lions, 81-62. Saint Leo now sits at 7-2 overall and 2-2 in SSC play this season.

"Eckerd played like the best team in the region today at times and we never gave up" said head coach Anthony Crocitto. "I was proud of the fight but our offense has to find a flow when we face defenses like we did today. I loved the way our rookies played today. Taydra and Alanis Diaz stepped up to help keep this game in reaching distance, while Chyna Mattair showed what she is cappable once she is 100%."

Taydra Simpson led the Lions offensively, scoring a team-high 16 points. The freshman came off the bench and played a huge role hitting 6-of-9 from the floor and 2-of-3 from three-point range for the Green & Gold. Kiki McIntrye finished second on the team in scoring with 15 points, she also led the Lions defense collecting three steals and one block.

The Lions' bench continued to be an essential part of the offense this season, collecting 24 points. The Lions were able to score almost half of their points in the paint, tallying 30 points in the paint.

The Tritons were able to jump out to an early 16-2 run to start the game against the Lions. McIntyre would end the Eckerd run, scoring off her own forced turnover. McIntyre led the Lions in scoring for the first quarter with four points. Simpson came off the bench for the Green & Gold and hit a three to cut the Triton's lead to 21-7 going into the second quarter.

The Lions started the second quarter with a huge 9-0 run to cut the Triton's lead to 21-16. Saint Leo was able to find its groove offensively and began to chip away at the Eckerd lead throughout the quarter. The Tritons were able to stay out in front of the battling Lions to head into the locker room at 37-30.

The third quarter featured similar play as both teams exchanged points with the Lions cutting the Triton lead to single digits heading into the final quarter of play. Eckerd was able to hold off Saint Leo for the remaining quarter stealing the game 81-62.

The Lions will head to Daytona Beach for the Holiday Classic Tournament where they will play Young Harris College on Friday, December 16^th, and close the tournament on Saturday, December 17th when they play Davenport University.

For the latest news, updates, and information on Saint Leo Women's Basketball, 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.