DAYTONA, Fla. – The eighth-seeded Saint Leo women's basketball team lost 72-62 in the quarterfinals of the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Tournament on the road at top-seeded Embry-Riddle on Tuesday evening.

Head coach Anthony Crocitto stated, "We left it all out there. I'm proud of the players and coaches. We made runs and needed to sustain them. What a great game and season from Jumoke, she got after it on both ends. Vanessa will do amazing things here. To our seniors, they are ready for the future. I'm proud to have coached them and they have impacted Saint Leo in many positive ways."

The Lions jumped out to a 12-5 lead following a three-pointer from junior Taydra Simpson in the first quarter. However, the Eagles scored five consecutive points as the Green and Gold led 12-10 at the end of the quarter. In the second frame Embry-Riddle outscored Saint Leo 23-14 to lead 33-26 at halftime.

During the third quarter, the Lions reclaimed the lead with a 44-40 margin after junior Alanis Diaz connected on a mid-range jumper. The Eagles finished the third frame on a 10-2 run to hold a 50-46 advantage heading into the fourth quarter. Embry-Riddle conducted a 22-4 run in the final quarter as it led 72-54 with 1:54 remaining in the game and held the lead for the remainder of regulation.

Graduate student Jumoke Adaramoye led the Lions with 21 points in addition to grabbing five rebounds and one steal. Simpson scored 10 points with three rebounds, three assists, and three blocks. Freshman Vanessa McManus tallied 10 points, four boards and two assists. As a team, Saint Leo shot 44.6 percent from the field while converting 35.7 percent of its three-point attempts.

In the nine years under Crocitto, Saint Leo has made appearances in the conference tournament six of the nine years.