WINTER PARK, Fla. (November 18, 2023) - Women's basketball put together a fantastic effort on both ends of the court in their 80-53 win over Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras on Saturday. With the win, Rollins moves to 1-1 on the year while Rio Piedras falls to 0-2.
The Jerezanas were crisp in the first few minutes of the game as they knocked down a couple of shots and forced multiple turnovers from the Tars to jump out to an 8-0 lead.
Lucy Leen scored the first basket for Rollins, and from there, the floodgates opened. The Tars would score 19 straight points to close out the quarter on a barrage of three-pointers and points in the paint. They also caused eight turnovers against Rio Piedras, and held a 21-16 lead at the end of one.
Quarter two was all Rollins as they outscored their opponent 34-9. For the period, the Tars shot 12-20 from the floor, including 8-12 from three-point land. They opened the second with 19 straight points, and did not allow a Jerezana bucket until five minutes into the quarter. Eight different Tars scored a point in the second as Rollins took a 55-24 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The two teams played to a 15-15 tie in the third quarter. Joeysel Velazquez led the Jerezana attack with six points in the quarter. With the final seconds of the quarter ticking down,
Kaitlyn Sanders snagged a rebound and went coast-to-coast with a floater in the paint at the buzzer to make it 70-39 after three.
Rio Piedras kept fighting, and they actually outscored Rollins 15-10 in the final frame.
Caroline Swartz knocked down her first three of the season at the 5:42 mark, and freshman
Emma Steidle made her NCAA debut in the fourth, grabbing three rebounds and dishing out an assist.
For the game, Rollins shot 43.7% (31-71) from the field, including 14-34 (41.2%) from three.
Claire Erickson led the offense with 13 points and seven assists. ajalon Gillard chipped in twelve points and six rebounds.
Next up for Rollins is the annual Thanksgiving Classic, taking place Friday November 24 and Saturday November 25. The Tars tipoff against Belmont Abbey at 2pm on Friday, followed by a neutral site matchup at 4pm between Florida Southern and Winston-Salem State.
