DAYTONA BEACH, Fla – The Saint Leo women's basketball team closed out the ERAU Holiday Classic with a win over Davenport University Saturday afternoon. The Lions defeated the Panthers, 84-67. Alex Button reached a career milestone in Daytona Beach Saturday afternoon. The fifth-year player from Cohocton, N.Y., put up a team-high 26 points to surpass 1,000 career points. Button became the newest member of the 1,000 point club and now holds 1,001 points. The milestone afternoon raised the green and Gold's record to 8-3 overall.

Button finished shooting a season-high nine field goals (9-of-18 from the floor) and had a season-high six buckets from the perimeter. Amanda Ulrich and Kiki McIntyre finished with 19 points apiece, and Taydra Simpson came off the bench and shot a perfect 100% from the field (3-of-3) for eight points. McIntyre led the Lions defense with five steals.

Davenport opened the first quarter jumping out to a quick lead over Saint Leo. However, the Lions found their grove late in the first quarter, closing out the quarter with a 9-0 run to cut the Panthers lead to 18-12. Button and McIntyre led the charge in the first quarter with three points each.

The Lions kept their momentum from the conclusion of the first quarter and quickly fought for the lead. Button hit a pivotal jumper to give the Green & Gold their first lead of the afternoon at 8:22 in the second. The Lions would jump out to a 22-6 run to give the Green & Gold a commanding lead going into the locker room. Button turned it up during the second quarter finishing with 11 points, 4-of-5 from the field and 3-of-4 from downtown. The Lions shot an impressive 85.7 percent from three-point range in the first half (6-of-7).

Saint Leo built on their lead from the first half in the third quarter shooting 33.3% from the field. The Lions went into the fourth quarter, 59-47.

Saint Leo would jump out to a 13-2 run in the fourth quarter to help secure the victory over the Panthers in the Holiday Classic finale.



The Lions will return home after the holidays to host Flagler College on Thursday, December 29^th. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 P.M.

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.