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Romeoville, Ill. – Junior guard Alexus Grayer (Washington, Ill./Washington) scored a career-high 19 points on a career-high five made three-pointers to lead the Lewis women's basketball team to a 76-67 Great Lakes Valley Conference victory over Rockhurst on Saturday (Jan. 12) at Neil Carey Arena.
 
The Flyers, in their fourth-straight home win, improve to 10-2 on the season and 3-1 in GLVC play while the Hawks fall to 3-8 on the year and 1-3 in conference action.
 
“It was nice to play with the lead today,” Lewis head women's basketball coach Lisa Carlsen said. “I have to give Rockhurst credit, they were scrappy out there.
 
“They kept at it and did some nice things down the stretch to give them a chance at the end.”
 
The Flyers' transition offense in the first half lead to 13-straight assists on 13 made baskets to open the game. Sophomore guard Nikki Nellen (New Berlin, Wis./Pius XI) was credited with four of her seven assists in the half.
 
Lewis went on a 15-2 run over a four and a half minute span to go up 20-6, capped by an Alyssa Dengler (Chicago, Ill./Trinity) fast-break three-pointer.
 
Sophomore Jess Reinhart (Normal, Ill./Bloomington Central Catholic) pushed Lewis' lead to 18 points, 32-14, with layup at the 5:34 mark. Reinhart would finish the contest with eight points, four rebounds and four assists.
 
The Hawks chipped at the Flyers lead, going on a 7-0 run to close out the last four minutes of the half. Rockhurst got five points from Shelby Geiman and a bucket from Melanie Siscos to go into the locker room down only eight, 34-26.
 
The Flyers were able to continue to keep the pesky Hawks at bay in the second half. Senior Sam Rinehart (Marion, Ill./Marion) scored off a layup to push Lewis' second half lead to 13, at 67-54, with two minutes left. Rinehart posted 10 of her 15 points, hitting three buckets and making four-of-six free throws, late in the contest.
 
The Hawks went on an 11-3 run in over a minute and a half in the last two minutes of the game. Rockhurst's Kendall Hart hit a three-pointer with 38 seconds left to subtract the Flyers lead to five, 70-65.
 
Lewis hit six-of-eight free throws in the last 30 seconds to win the game, 76-67.
 
Rockhurst's Geiman lead the Hawks with 12 points, while Hart added 11 from off the bench.
 
Lewis heads out on the road to open GLVC East Division play on Thursday (Jan. 17) at McKendree in Lebanon, Ill., with tip-off set for 5:30 PM.