ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – The Lewis women's basketball team held off a feisty Ferris State club for a 77-72 win on Sunday afternoon at Neil Carey Arena. The win is the fifth straight for the Flyers (5-1) while the Bulldogs fell to 3-2.

Lewis led virtually the entire contest despite turning it over a season-high 29 times and had to withstand several Ferris State rallies.

The Flyers scored the first six points of the contest but the Bulldogs came back with five straight points to cut the deficit to 6-5 after a three-pointer from Shaniya Huggins. Lewis responded with a 7-2 run to stretch its lead to eight after a three-pointer from Kaitlyn Williams (Homer Glen, Ill./Joliet Catholic) with 3:44 to go in the opening quarter.

Ferris State cut the lead to 17-10 but the Flyers pushed it out to 24-12 on a three-pointer from Stephanie Hart (Geneva, Ill./Geneva) with 0:33 left in the quarter. Zoe Anderson cut the lead to nine by the end of the quarter with a three-pointer.

Lewis stretched its lead to as many as 13 points on a layup by Morgan Glatczak (Mukwonago, Wis./Mukwonago) with 1:42 left in the half but the Flyers turned the ball over four times in the final 1:07 of the half resulting in six points for the Bulldogs as they cut the Lewis lead to 41-34 at the intermission.

Ferris State opened the third quarter scoring six of the first eight points to cut the Flyer lead to 43-40 on a layup from Brayene Benner with 7:48 to play in the quarter. Lewis responded with seven straight to points to extend the lead back to double digits over the next 2:44. Jessica Kelliher (Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha North) scored five points in that run while Tierney Lockett (Richton Park, Ill./Rich South) added two.

The Bulldogs got back within six at 50-44 on a jumper by Huggins just past the midway point of the quarter but the Flyers answered back with a 10-4 run to push their advantage back to double digits.

Ferris State cut the lead to 60-53 on a three-pointer by Alexis Bush but Rachel Hinders (Johnston, Iowa/Johnston) gave Lewis a nine-point cushion heading into the final quarter with a layup in the final minute of the frame.

Neither side scored for the first 3:10 of the final quarter before the Flyers rattled off four in a row to grab a 13-point advantage. The Bulldogs cut the lead to 68-60 after a three-pointer by Adrienne Anderson with 4:13 to play but Lewis answered with six of the next eight points to extend the lead to 74-62 on a free from Gabby Green (Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI).

Ferris State cut the Flyer lead to 75-70 on a layup from Anderson with 0:21 but Rachel Hinders (Johnston, Iowa/Johnston) hit two big free throws to extend the lead back to seven with 0:19. Huggins hit another basket in the closing seconds but it wouldn't be enough as Lewis held on for the victory.

The Flyers shot 52 percent (27-for-52) from the floor in the contest, was 5-of-14 from three and shot 69 percent at the foul line. They outrebounded the Bulldogs 42-to-33 but was outscored 26-to-14 in points off turnovers.

Hinders led all scorers with 24 points while Kelliher recorded her third double-double of the season with 22 points and a season-high 16 rebounds. Lockett added 11 points and Green finished with seven points.

The Bulldogs were 31-of-78 (40 percent) from the field, shot 25 percent from three and went 6-of-12 at the charity stripe. Huggins led them with 17 points while Bush finished with 12 points.

Lewis continues its homestand next Saturday (Dec. 1) when it hosts Indianapolis in the GLVC opener for both squads at 1 p.m. at Neil Carey Arena.