SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Saint Leo University Lions women's basketball team secured a win in a game that saw the Lions defense hold the Barry Buccaneers to single digit points in the first and fourth quarters. The Lions opened 2024 with their ninth victory of the season to improve to 9-4 overall, and 3-2 in the Sunshine State Conference.

Three Lions finished the night with double-digit points, Taydra Simpson (21), Chynna Mattair (13), and Jumoke Adaramoye (12). Alayna Harris led the team with eight rebounds including six defensive rebounds.

Saint Leo jumped out to an impressive 12-0 lead holding the Bucs off the board for the first seven and a half minutes of the game with Taydra Simpson leading the offense. Simpson finished the game with a team-high 21 points, contributing significantly to the Lions' balanced offensive attack. The team's tenacious defense, coupled with aggressive rebounding, allowed them to maintain control throughout the game.

The second quarter saw similar dominance from one offensive attack just like the first quarter but this time it was the Buccaneers turn to dominate.  The Bucs capitalized on the Lions fouls going 13-for-13 at the line. Barry held Saint Leo scores for six and half minutes as it closed the gap and briefly took a one point lead at 31-30 with 84 seconds remaining in the half. Jumoke Adaramoye ended the home team's scoring drought with 35 seconds left in the second quarter.

Adaramoye opened the second half scoring with a layup in the paint for a 34-31 lead. Barry's Audrey Jennings responded with a quick three at the other end of the court to tie the game at 34-34. After Jennings knocked down a pair of free throws, Simpson tied the game at 36-36 with a put back basket and completed the three-point play with a made free throw. Jennings responded and opened a 7-0 Barry run with a made three point shot and a pair of free throws extending the visitors lead to 43-37. Baskets by Simpson and Chynna Mattiar evened the score at 43-43 but a 6-2 Buccaneer run over the final four minutes of the third quarter gave Barry a 49-45 lead heading into the final quarter.

A trio of scorers opened the Lions fourth quarter with a 6-0 run to take a 51-49 lead, however Barry's Jennings forced a turnover and tied the game at 51-51 with a fastbreak layup. Andjela Pavicevic responded with a jumper in the paint to for the final lead change of the game as the Lions closed the game outscoring the Bucs, 18-6.

Coach Anthony Crocitto's thoughts on tonight's win: 
"Just a big-time performance from this up-and-coming sophomore, Taydra Simpson. She's often dominant on both ends of the floor and is such a big part of what we do."

"I challenged Chynna Mattair to be a spark off the bench and to be consistent and today she could've been the difference."

"What people don't always understand is that we are a very young starting five in terms of experience, and today we almost had to learn a lesson about how to play with a big lead. But these ladies came out in the fourth quarter, and did what they needed to do to deliver the victory."

"We give thanks to our crowd and supporters as they mean a lot to us and we hope to have double the crowd on Wednesday as we play area-rival Florida Southern at 5 p.m."

The Lions return to the Marion Bowman Activities Center on Wednesday for a 5:00 p.m. match up with Florida Southern (Jan. 10) for Lake Jovita Night.

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.