LAKELAND, Fla. – Wasting no time in jumping out to a 23-9 lead at the end of the first quarter, the Lee University women's basketball team claimed its second straight victory in the GSC/SSC Crossover by defeating host Florida Southern College 71-58 on Saturday afternoon.
The Lady Flames led by as much as 24 points (49-25) with 5:31 remaining in the third period before the Mocs mounted a series of comebacks which Lee turned back and preserved the victory.
The impressive win was led by four Lee players in double-figure scoring. Mallory Hampton finished with 19 points and five assists. Mia Hurst came off the bench and nailed a pair of 3-point shots in tallying 13 points. Haylee Johnson added 11 markers, grabbed five rebounds and dished off six assists while Addison Smith pitched in with 10 points and a team-leading six rebounds.
The Lady Flames shot well from the field the entire contest, hitting 21-of-57 shots overall (47%). They made 10-of-25 triples (40%) and were only awarded 11 free throws but made seven. Against the tough Florida Southern defense, Lee had 19 assists compared to 17 turnovers.
On the other side, Sydney Gomes proved hard to defend. The guard poured in 25 points, paced her team with nine rebounds and added four assists. Sarah Lange was the only other Moc in double-figures. She totaled 11 points.
The Lee defense held Florida Southern's offense to 37% shooting (22-of-39). The Mocs struggled from beyond the arc, making just 3-of-22 (14%). They marched to the free-throw line 19 times and canned 11. They registered 12 assists and had 13 turnovers.
The Lady Flames will continue their road adventures on Saturday (Nov. 16) when they face an old NAIA rival, Emmanuel University in Franklin Springs, Ga.
Coach Marty Rowe's thoughts:
"Really good early season win for our team. Florida Southern is an extremely talented team and to be able to beat them at home is a great step for us. We are going to enjoy this weekend for a couple of days and then get back to work. We still have a long ways to go as a group."
