WINTER PARK, Fla. (January 18, 2023) - A spectacular effort in the second half helped Rollins overcome a fifteen-point halftime deficit in a SSC road win at Saint Leo on Wednesday. With the win, Rollins now sits at 7-10 on the year, with a 2-8 record in conference play. Saint Leo falls to 9-9 on the season.
The first quarter was abysmal for both teams as they each managed just seven points. The second quarter saw the Lions find their stride, while Rollins continued to struggle from the field, scoring only four points. By the time the halftime break arrived, the score was 26-11 in favor of the Saint Leo.
Lucy Leen and
Emily Dogbatse each hit a three to start the third quarter. After the Lions converted their first shot of the second half (nearly four minutes into the quarter),
Aaliyah Irizarry-Perez scored five straight points to help the Tars chip away at the lead. Rollins continued to play tough defense, all the while knocking down shots from all over the court. The Tars ended the quarter on a 7-2 run,, and trailed by only two points, 38-36, with one quarter to play.
Leen got the fourth started with another triple, giving Rollins their first lead since the first quarter of the game It was shortlived, however, as Saint Leo tied the game, and then retook the advantage in a matter of seconds. Irizarry-Perez was able to score from the paint to knot the score at 43, followed by a big three from
Claire Erickson. Once more, the Lions clawed their way back into a tied game, but it was Dogbatse this time who nailed a shot from deep to put Rollins back on top, 49-46.
Saint Leo tied the game one final time at 49 all with 2:40 to play. They then adopted a new strategy ... foul everyone. Coming into the game, Rollins was one of the worst free-throw shooting teams in the SSC. However, they did not look the part in this one. The Tars knocked down 13 of 15 foul shots in the final 160 seconds to hang on for a wild 64-56 win.
Erickson ended up as the Tars leading scorer with twelve points, including 9-10 shooting from the charity stripe. Irizarry had a solid all-around game with nine points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Leen added ten points and four steals.
Rollins has the weekend off before hitting the road again next Wednesday as they travel to Fort Lauderdale to take on the Sharks of Nova Southeastern. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 pm.
