WINTER PARK, FLA. (November 24, 2025) – Rollins women's basketball battled through a back-and-forth matchup on Saturday afternoon, powering past UPR–Bayamon for a 73–68 win.
The Vaqueros opened the scoring with two quick baskets before
Ellie Thompson knocked down a three to get the Tars rolling. Off the bench,
McKenna Murphy went coast-to-coast to tie things at five. Rollins continued to trade scores with UPR-B until
Tara Murray pushed the Tars ahead with a three, followed by a strong driving finish from
Zai Mitchell to make it a two-possession game. A stretch of four straight Vaquero free throws and a deep, contested three flipped the lead back, sending Rollins into the end of the quarter trailing 17–13.
A pair of free throws and a jumper from
Faith Newton opened the second, keeping the Tars close. Mitchell tied things up with a three shortly after, but UPR-B answered with five straight. Newton and Mitchell kept Rollins within reach, and on the following trip, Thompson hit the first of two free throws before
Makayla Daube cleaned up the second to bring it to one. Though the Vaqueros found another bucket, Newton again pulled Rollins back within one. Under a minute remaining, the Tars delivered a crucial stop that set up Thompson to find Murray for a corner three, giving Rollins its first lead since the opening minutes. UPR-B responded immediately with a three of its own as time expired, reclaiming a one-point lead at the break.
The Tars came out of the locker room firing, as Thompson, Murray, and Newton combined for a 6–0 run to regain control. UPR-B trimmed it back to one possession, but
Grace Craig found her rhythm with her first points of the night to steady the Tars. After the Vaqueros cut it back again,
Elaina Kline-Ruminski grabbed a putback to push the lead to three, and Craig added a free throw to extend it to four. Murphy broke a brief scoring lull with a strong finish, and Escribano added a driving basket moments later. Kline-Ruminski knocked down two more at the line, but the Vaqueros kept it close, sending Rollins into the fourth up one possession.
Escribano ignited the final quarter with a jumper, with Mitchell and Newton quickly joining in. The Tars exploded for a 10–1 run capped by another Escribano layup, stretching the lead to double digits. Newton kept it there with another finish, and Mitchell tacked on points a possession later. Thompson drilled a three, and Kline-Ruminski followed with a driving layup to give Rollins its largest lead of the afternoon at 16. Mitchell scored once more before the Tars went scoreless down the stretch, but the defensive effort held strong to fend off the late Vaquero push and secure the 73–68 win.
Mitchell posted a dominant double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds, while Craig led all Tars with 16 points and six boards. Thompson put together a well-rounded performance with nine points and seven assists. All nine Tars who entered the game scored, fueling 20 bench points and 29 second-chance points. Rollins shot 42.6% from the field, collected 30 points in the paint, and forced 14 turnovers to close out the road win.
Rollins improves to 3–1 on the season. The Tars return to action on Saturday, Nov. 29, for a 2 p.m. matchup against Thomas University.
