SAINT LEO, Fla. - The Lake Superior State women's basketball team fell to the Saint Leo Lions by a final score of 86-51 in the team's first game at Saint Leo's Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel Classic on Saturday, Dec. 18 at the Marion Bowman Athletic Center in Saint Leo, Fla. With the loss, the Lakers overall record sits at 2-7.
Senior forward Makenzie Bray opened the game's scoring as she made a jump shot to give the Lakers a 2-0 lead at 9:23 of the first quarter. As the quarter played on, the Lakers and Lions traded points. Mattison Rayman scored the team's next four points as the game was tied at six with 6:08 to play in the first ten minutes.
With 1:49 left in the first quarter, Bray made a three point jumper to bring the Lakers within two points of Saint Leo (15-13). Freshman CeCe Hacker made two free throws in the final minute to even the game at 15. The Lions made a layup on the final scoring play of the quarter to take a two-point lead into the second quarter (17-15).
Within the first minute of the second quarter, Rayman made a layup to keep the Lakers within a point of the Lions (18-17). After redshirt freshman Brittany Bowman made a layup with 6:47 left on the clock, Saint Leo would begin a scoring run that would widen the lead. The Lions would score 17 of the game's next 19 points as the team extended the lead to 18 points (41-23) with 2:26 left to play in the first half. Bray added two more field goals before the end of the quarter but the Lakers would trail by 19 points (46-27) after the first twenty minutes of play.
Rayman made a layup on the Lakers first possession of the second half, to cut the Lions lead to 17 points (46-29). But, the Lions would not let the Lakers come any closer to closing the gap. Saint Leo's defense held the Lakers to just eight points in the third quarter while the Lions added 20 points to lead 66-35 after the first thirty minutes of the game.
In the fourth quarter, the Lakers were unable to come up with an answer for the Lions and fell by a final score of 86-51.
Breaking Down the Game: Bray and Rayman led the Lakers in scoring against the Lions in the game. Bray led the team with 15 points in the games as she went 7-for-15 from the field. Rayman ranked second with 14 points while also leading the Lakers in rebounds with 11. The junior forward recorded her fifth double-double of the season in the game. Kelly Olthof rounded out the team's top three scorers in the game as she posted 10 points in the loss.
The Lakers finished the game with a 37.5 shooting percentage, going 18-for-48 in the game. On the other end of the floor, the Lions went 31-for-59 in the game to total a 52.5 shooting percentage. Saint Leo outrebounded Lake State, 34-31, in the game.
Up Next
The Lakers will close out Saint Leo's Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel Classic tomorrow afternoon against the Southern New Hampshire Penmen at 12:00 p.m. at the Marion Bowman Athletic Center in Saint Leo, Fla.
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