ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (November 15, 2023) - The Rollins Tars opened their 2023-24 campaign with a tough road loss, falling 65-62 against the Flagler Saints on Wednesday. Rollins moves to 0-1 while Flagler improves to 2-1 in the young season.
Ajalon Gillard got things going with the first basket of the game on a layup, with
Lucy Leen adding a jumper moments later. After a couple Saints makes, Aaliyah Irizarry got on the board to pull the Tars within two, but things would slow down as Flagler ended the quarter on a 12-6 run go up 20-12 through one.
The second quarter was a struggle for both teams as only four combined shots were made in the first half of the period.
Maddie Dillinger picked things up in the last few minutes, scoring four points, including a nice three-point play. Still, the Saints held a strong 36-24 lead at half.
Quarter three was night-and-day different as both teams found their offensive grooves. Dillinger set the pace early for Rollins, scoring on a pair of possessions. Then, in the final five minutes, the Tars exploded for 16 more points, led by ten from Gillard that included two three-point plays. A late jumper from the Saints kept them up 12, 56-44, at the third buzzer.
Flagler seemed to falter in the final frame, while Rollins stayed hot. Both Irizarry and
Kaitlyn Sanders scored twice before the media timeout to pull Rollins within six. After a short scoreless drought, Dillinger scored on back-to-back possessions, followed by two layups from Gillard to make it 63-60.
The Saints got a jumper off a set piece to go up two possessions with 73 seconds to play. The Tars would turn the ball over on the next possession, but got a last second layup from Leen to make the final of 65-62.
Gillard, an FAU transfer, was impressive in her Tars debut, scoring 16 while grabbing three rebounds and dishing out four assists. Dillinger, a transfer from Lenoir-Rhyne, matched her with 16 while adding seven rebounds.
The next game for Rollins will be at home on Saturday when they host Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras. Tipoff is scheduled for noon at Warden Arena.
