WET PALM BEACH, Fla. – Saint Leo University women's basketball suffered a tough defeat on the road at Palm Beach Atlantic University on Saturday afternoon. The game came down to the final possession that saw the Sailfish defense hold off the Lions attack in a 50-47 PBA win.

The Sailfish opened the game with a 4-0 run but the Lions responded with a 6-2 run of their own to tie the game at 6-6 and took their first lead of the game on a Taydra Simpson three. After the Lions tied the game again at 11-11, PBA's Ashleigh Boulin gave the home team a 13-11 lead after the first 10 minutes.

Saint Leo used a 16-7 second quarter to lead 27-20 at the half. Freshman Olivia Agunzo lead the Lions with nine points in the second quarter including a trey to give the visitors a lead they maintained for the remainder of the first half. Leading by five in the final seconds, Agunzo nailed a jumper at the buzzer to put the Lions up by seven at the half.

Andjela Pavicevic dropped a three just 26 seconds into the second half to put the Lions up by double-digits. Saint Leo and Palm Beach Atlantic traded baskets throughout the remainder of the third quarter as the Sailfish climbed their way back into the game. Jillian Schenk's free throw with 74 seconds left in the third tied the game at 36-36.

Tied heading into the final 10 minutes, Alanis Diaz made a layup to open the fourth quarter scoring for a 38-36 Lions lead. PBA responded with a 7-0 run to turn a two-point deficit into a five-point advantage. Chynna Mattair sunk both free throws to pull the Lions within three. Mattair gave the visitors a chance to come back as she capitalized on a PBA turnover to make it a one-point game at 48-47. After Kash Ayuso went 2-for-2 at the free throw line giving the home team a 50-47 advantage, the Lions had a chance to tied the game at as the clock expired but a Saint Leo three-point shot fell just short.

Head Coach Anthony Crocitto's thoughts on the game at Palm Beach Atlantic:
"We have to find a way to continually score the ball more. We have shown glimpses of scoring in bunches but not any consistency on that end."  

The defense we are playing at times is super strong and at times dominating. We have to cash in on our offense through our defense."

"Chynna Mattair really is in her first season as a Lion due to injury. She is going to be special. She tried to carry us in the 4th but the last play got away from us as a team."

"In the end, we can't turn it over 22 times, miss free throws and all that many offensive rebounds but even through all that strife, our defense gave us a chance to win."  

"It's a long season. We will keep fighting to be better."

The Lions return to the hardwood on Wednesday when they make the trip north to Embry-Riddle (Jan. 17) for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff in Daytona Beach. Saint Leo is back home on January 20 to take on the Sharks of Nova Southeastern with a 3:30 p.m. tipoff at the Marion Bowman Activities Center.

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.