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RENSSELAER, Ind. – Lewis women's basketball cut a 15-point second half deficit to one point with 4:53 remaining but couldn't complete the comeback in the Flyers' 87-82 Great Lakes Valley Conference loss at Saint Joseph's on Saturday (Jan. 28) afternoon.
 
The Flyers led for most of the first half only to trail 38-35 at the break. The squads traded runs to start the second with Lewis scoring the half's first six points and Saint Joseph's scoring the next eight. Sophomore Alexus Grayer (Washington, Ill./Washington) (Washington, Ill./Washington) halted the Puma's run with a 3-pointer at 12:33 to make the score 46-44 in favor of the Pumas. The home standing Pumas would go on another run to extend their lead to 15 points at 65-50 with 9:24 remaining. The Flyers got back in it by scoring the game's next 14 points. Reinhart and Grayer each had six points in the push which took less than five minutes.
 
However the road GLVC win wasn't to be for the Flyers as Saint Joseph's pulled away by going 9-of-10 from the free throw line and making all three of their 3-point attempts over the game's final five minutes.
 
Five Flyers finished in double-digits. Freshman Jess Reinhart (Normal, Ill./Bloomington Central Catholic) (Normal, Ill./Bloomington Central Catholic) scored a career-high 27 points on 11-of-19 shooting. She made all five of her free throws while adding six rebounds and three steals.
 
“We gave Jess the ball in some really good situations,” Lewis head coach Lisa Carlsen said. “If we find a way to get her the ball in one-on-one situations she's capable of having ballgames like today when we share the ball like that.”
 
Freshman point guard Jamie Johnson (South Holland, Ill./Marian Catholic) (South Holland, Ill./Marian Catholic) added 13 points with eight assists and seven rebounds. Senior Devon Carbaugh (Sterling, Ill./Sterling) (Sterling, Ill./Sterling) scored 12 points while going a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor. Senior Madeline Kish (Oak Forest, Ill./Sandburg) (Oak Forest, Ill./Sandburg/Eastern Illinois) scored 12 points. Grayer also finished with 12 points while grabbing five rebounds (three offensive) in 21 minutes.
 
“Alexus played with some aggression and I liked her energy today,” Carlsen said. “She was able to provide us a lift and the more game experience we can get her the more she will continue to improve.”
 
Saint Joseph's recorded 20 offensive rebounds to Lewis' 10, but the Flyers held a 17-15 advantage in second chance points.
 
Lewis finished the game shooting season-high 52.6 percent (30-of-57) from the floor while Saint Joseph's shot at 42.4 percent (26-of-66). Lewis also recorded a season-high 25 assists. The difference in the game came from beyond the arc where the Pumas finished with 12 treys while Lewis made seven.
 
Saint Joseph's improves to 12-7 (6-5 GLVC). Lewis falls to 4-15 (2-9 GLVC). The Flyers are back in action on Thursday (Feb. 2) when Northern Kentucky comes to Romeoville for a 5:30 p.m. start. The game will be aired live on Lakeshore Public Television.