With four players scoring in double figures and Haley Schubert producing a double-double, 17 points and 10 assists, the Lee women's basketball team defeated Saint Leo University 81-47 in the final game of the GSC/SSC Region Crossover, hosted by the Lady Flames on Friday and Saturday. In the opener on Saturday, Florida Southern defeated Alabama Huntsville 62-58.
Halle Hughes paced the Lee scoring with 18 points, making 5-of-7 shots from the field and 2-of-3 treys. She was a perfect 2-of-2 from the charity stripe and added a pair of assists. Hannah Garrett and Julia Duncan chipped in with 12 points each. Overall, the Lady Flames shot 50% from the field, 44% from beyond the arc and made 19-of-20 free throws.
Lee won the battle of the boards 39-30 and had 20 assists compared to 15 turnovers. The hard fought first half ended with the Lady Flames leading 40-33 but the second 20 minutes was an entirely different story. Lee outscored the Lions 41-14 and held the visitors to only one point in the fourth quarter.
"This was a good sign for our team today. Bouncing back after a quality win on Friday and competing the way we did on both ends says a lot about the character of this group already. This was something we missed last year at times and it's great to see how we responded against a good and physical team," said Coach Marty Rowe after his team improved to 2-0 on the year.
"We defended with energy and urgency this weekend," he added. "This needs to be a given every time we hit the floor. We don't want to get ahead of ourselves at this point, there's still so much room for improvement on both ends of the court. We will be ready to get back to practice Monday and prepare for two home games." The Lady Flames will host Toccoa Falls College on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Visiting Saint Leo (Florida) was led by Amanda Ulrich and Kiki McIntyre with 11 points each. Tori Lesko had nine rebounds. The Lee defense held the Lions to only 29% shooting from the field and 24% from 3-point range. The Lady Flames outscored Saint Leo 17-5 points off turnovers, held a 26-20 margin off points in the paint and outscored the visitors 19-15 in points off the bench.
