LAKELAND, Fla. – Despite three Lions scoring in double figures, the Saint Leo University women's basketball team lost 78-73 in overtime at Florida Southern College in a Sunshine State Conference (SSC) contest at the George W. Jenkins Field House on Wednesday night.

The Lions fall to 10-13 overall with a 4-11 record in conference matchups. Meanwhile, the Mocs improve to 13-10 behind a 6-10 mark in SSC play.

Florida Southern battled back to gain a 54-51 edge over Saint Leo in the fourth as the Mocs constructed an 11-0 run to start the final quarter. The Lions scored 11 of the next 18 points as the game was tied at 61 with 4:33 remaining in regulation. A three-pointer from junior Chynna Mattair gave Saint Leo a 64-61 advantage, however, Florida Southern answered with a long range shot of their own to tie the game at 64 at the 3:20-mark. The Mocs took a 66-64 lead following a layup with 1:23 remaining. With less than 20 seconds left on the clock, sophomore Taydra Simpson connected on a pair of clutch free throws to send the game into overtime.

Saint Leo and Florida Southern exchanged leads in the opening minutes of overtime until a three-pointer gave a 74-71 edge with 1:44 left in overtime. The Lions trimmed the score to 74-73 after a layup from freshman Olivia Agunzo, with less than a minute remaining. The Mocs extended their lead to 78-73 in the last 30 seconds with a layup and a pair of free throws.

The first quarter featured a back-and-forth battle between the Lions and Mocs as the teams split the first 24 points of the game. Following a pair of free throws from Agunzo and a mid-range jumper from Simpson, Saint Leo grasped a 16-12 advantage with less than 40 seconds remaining in the initial quarter. Florida Southern cut their deficit to 16-14 after two made free throws right before time expired.

The Lions ignited at the start of the second quarter as they executed an 11-0 run with six points coming from sophomore Alanis Diaz as Saint Leo held a commanding 27-14 lead. The Mocs answered by scoring three consecutive baskets to trim their deficit to 27-21 with 4:12 remaining in the half. The Lions finished the first half on a 7-2 run as they scored a pair of layups within the last minute to establish a 34-23 edge at halftime.

In the third quarter, Florida Southern went on a 12-7 run to cut the Saint Leo lead to 41-35 at the 5:43-mark. The Lions extended their lead back to double digits following a pair of shots in the paint. Both teams continued to exchange baskets until a jumper from the Mocs brought them within single digits entering the fourth quarter, 51-43.

Diaz registered a career-best 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field while connecting on two shots from behind the three-point line. She also dished out four assists and grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds, marking her second career double-double. Agunzo tallied 18 while shooting 50.0 percent from the field and went a perfect four-for-four from the charity stripe, in addition to recording four rebounds, a steal, a block and an assist. Simpson notched 14 points and five rebounds with two assists. Junior Andjela Pavicevic scored seven points and collected eight boards while making her presence felt on defense with a trio of blocks.

The Lions shot 41.9 percent (26-of-62) from the field and 36.4 percent (8-of-22) from long range. From the free throw line, Saint Leo shot at an 81.3 percent clip (13-for-16). Florida Southern held a 51-41 advantage on the glass.

Head Coach Anthony Crocitto's thoughts following the overtime loss:

"This one hurt. This one hit us hard. We had a group of four freshman and sophomores play 172 total minutes and score sixty plus points."  

"We did everything right for the most part but got gutted on the glass. Hats off to FSC as they hit big shots in climbing back."

"Tremendous game for rookie Olivia Agunzo and sophomores Diaz and Simpson."

"Life isn't fair, and  this one is a true lesson for life that these women must learn."

"We will be ready for Senior night this Saturday and playing ERAU. Please Pack the Bowman at 3:30 p.m. For these young ladies."

The Lions return home for senior night and alumni night as they host Embry-Riddle (Feb. 17) for a 3:30 p.m. tip off. 

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.