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The Lee women's basketball team held off a determined North Alabama squad for a 75-73 victory on Saturday afternoon from Walker Arena.

Freshman Haris Price led the Lady Flames with 20 points on a perfect 4 for 4 shooting from the 3-point line in the second half. 

Price was joined in double-figures by Erin Walsh with 14 while Christina Johnson added 12 to go along with 15 rebounds. The senior grabbed nine offensive rebounds to help keep possessions alive and leads the team averaging 10.4 per game.

The Lions held a 35-30 lead at the break and limited the Lady Flames to just 39 percent shooting in the first two periods. Lee used a big third quarter, outscoring UNA 26-20, to pull ahead thanks in large part to hitting 6 of 8 3-pointers in the second half.

In the final moments of the game, North Alabama grabbed a rebound off a missed free throw and threw up a game-tying heave from the corner but the shot fell short.

Carrie Cheeks added nine points and seven rebounds before exiting the game in the second half with an apparent ankle injury.

"Credit North Alabama they really out played us today and played with a lot more energy and pride then we did," said head coach Marty Rowe. "We are fortunate to come away with the victory."

North Alabama led for almost 30 minutes of the contest but in the end the Lady Flames held the advantage when it mattered most.

The Lions featured a balance scoring attack with five different players in double-figures. Janae Lyde and Jaclyn Heath paced the effort with 16 points each. Katelyn Nunley and Alexus Patterson added 13 points respectively and KeKe Gunter rounded things out with 10 markers and seven rebounds.

"We look shocked that people play us hard and with that type of pride so we are going to have to get better mentally and get tougher in the next couple of weeks or our March will be short. This team has the potential to do some really good things but obviously today we hit a stall," added Rowe.

Lee dominated on the glass, outrebounding North Alabama by a wide 43-23 margin. Despite the one-sided rebounding numbers, the Lions did hold a 32-26 advantage on points in the paint.

The Lady Flames improve to 16-6 overall and 13-4 in the Gulf South Conference. Lee is currently sitting in second place in the standings. The Lions fall to 4-18 on the season and are 3-14 in league play.

Saturday was the Lee men's and women's basketball teams' annual Hoops 4 Hope contest to benefit the Lee University Developmental Inclusion Classroom (LUDIC). 

LUDIC is located on the Lee University Campus and currently serves 21 students from the surrounding area. The mission of LUDIC, led by Dr. Tammy Johnson, is to serve the needs of students with the diagnosis of autism as well as their families. It also offers a unique opportunity for Lee University education students to have a hand's on experience on campus.

"We continue to get great support across campus and in the community for this event. The good thing is all the funds stay right here on our campus with Dr. Tammy Johnson and her staff and they are the real heroes," concluded Rowe.

The Lady Flames will look to win four in a row on Thursday as they host West Alabama at 6 p.m.