WINTER PARK, Fla. (February 15, 2023) - Rollins dropped a tough conference matchup with Saint Leo on Wednesday, falling 83-65. The Tars now stand at 8-16 on the year, with a 3-14 record in in the SSC.
The first quarter was a back and forth affair as both teams were able to go blow-for-blow for most of the period.
Kymora Westerfield knocked down a pair of threes early, putting Rollins up 8-4. The Lions slowly chipped away at the lead, and then ended the first quarter on a 10-3 run to lead 21-15.
Quarter two played to the same script as Saint Leo was able to answer every time Rollins tried to make a run. After the Tars pulled within four on an
Emily Dogbatse layup, the Lions went on a 13-0 run, holding Rollins scoreless over a span of four minutes.
Grace Alfieri knocked down a buzzer beater jump shot to make the score 45-27 at the break.
Rollins stepped up their offense in the third, scoring 19 points on 50% shooting. Unfortunately, Saint Leo was even strong on offense, going for 21, including ten free throws.
Aaliyah Irizarry-Perez was effective down low, working for six points.
Despite the game being out of hand by the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the Tars showed fight, winning the fourth quarter battle 19-17.
Claire Erickson had a solid showing, dropping eleven points in the final frame. However, the offense stalled late, failing to score for a three-minute stretch at the end of the game before Erickson hit a three with 26 seconds to go. Those would be the final points of the game, with Saint Leo taking home a 83-65 victory.
Erickson led the team with 13 points on the night to go with three assists. Irizarry-Perez scored nine, as did Dogbatse.
Next up for the Tars is another home game, matching up with the #7 Eckerd Tritons on Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 pm at Warden Arena.
