WINTER PARK, Fla. (January 28, 2026) – Rollins women's basketball came up just short in a tightly contested matchup Wednesday night, falling 52–45 to Lynn inside Warden Arena.
Rollins struck first, as
Grace Craig capitalized on an offensive rebound from
Faith Newton for the opening basket. Lynn answered with two quick scores before both teams went cold. A Fighting Knight layup broke the stalemate, but the Tars responded immediately with
Victoria Escribano finishing inside off an
Elaina Kline-Ruminski assist. Craig followed with another bucket in transition after
Claire Erickson secured the defensive rebound, and Kline-Ruminski added one at the line. Newton then knocked down a jumper after a stop to give Rollins a 9–4 lead. Lynn responded, but
McKenna Murphy answered right back with a finish off a Craig assist. A Lynn putback and three tied the game, though Murphy reclaimed the lead with a driving layup before Erickson picked off a pass and converted on the other end, sending Rollins into the first break up 15–11.
Lynn opened the second with a putback and an and-one to pull within one, but
Makayla Daube came off the bench with a jumper to restore separation. Escribano added a free throw before Lynn answered again. The score remained tight for the next stretch, as Lynn tied the game at the line and briefly grabbed the lead. Craig responded in a big way, scoring off an offensive rebound and then converting again on the defensive end to swing momentum back to the Tars. A Newton free throw and an Escribano jumper stretched the lead to five, and Craig closed the half with two more baskets in the final minute to give Rollins a 29–21 advantage at the break.
The Fighting Knights made a push out of halftime, with Craig accounting for the Tars' lone points during a 7–2 stretch to open the third. Escribano slowed the run with a finish to push the lead back to four. The teams traded baskets from there, with Erickson converting on a drive. Free throws followed, as Escribano added another to maintain a slim Rollins edge. Daube then finished off a Newton assist, but a late Lynn three closed the quarter, trimming the margin to 38–36 heading into the fourth.
Lynn opened the final frame with two quick baskets to regain the lead, but Craig answered to tie the game at 40. Free throws swung momentum back toward the Fighting Knights before both sides endured a scoreless stretch. Lynn broke through with a layup to go up four, but Erickson answered with Rollins' first three of the night to pull within one. Lynn responded with a three of its own following a defensive stop, forcing a Rollins timeout. Fouls became costly down the stretch, allowing Lynn to add points at the line and keep the game just out of reach, despite late scores from Daube, as the Fighting Knights secured the 52–45 win.
The contest featured seven ties and five lead changes, with Rollins holding the advantage for much of the night. The Tars outscored Lynn in the paint, 30–20. Craig led Rollins with 16 points, adding seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Escribano finished with eight points, while Erickson contributed seven points, a team-high five assists, and five steals. Newton paced the Tars on the glass with eight rebounds.
Rollins moves to 6–13 overall and 1–11 in SSC play, while Lynn improves to 12–8 (6–6 SSC). The Tars return to Warden Arena on Saturday, Jan. 31, for a 2 p.m. matchup against Eckerd.
