ST. CHARLES, Mo. – Lewis University's women's basketball team withstood a late charge to defeat Lindenwood 72-67 on Tuesday afternoon at Hyland Arena in St. Charles, Mo. The Flyers improve to 9-5 overall and in the GLVC and 6-1 on the road while the Lions drop to 4-4 overall and in league play.

Sophomore Grace Hilber (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) led four Lewis players in double figures in scoring with 15 points with 11 of those coming in the final quarter. Junior Stephanie Hart (Geneva, Ill./Geneva) added 12 points while freshman Kathryn Schmidt (Hampshire, Ill./Burlington Central) and Jenna Badali (Oak Lawn, Ill./Mother McAuley) finished with 10 points each. Badali had a game-high seven assists in the contest.

The Flyers scored the first six points of the game and led for a majority of the first 10 minutes but were tied at 15 by the end of the quarter.

The two teams went back-and-forth over the first five-plus minutes of the second stanza and were tied at 21 at the second quarter media timeout. Lewis regained the lead thanks to six straight points from redshirt-freshman Shawnton Brown (Joliet, Ill./Joliet Central) and a free throw from redshirt-sophomore Lindsay Harrison (Yorkville, Ill./Yorkville) to build its biggest lead of the half at 28-21 with 4:06 remaining.

The Lions scored six of the final eight points of the half to cut the Flyers lead to 30-27 at the intermission.

Lindenwood opened the third quarter on a 19-8 run to take its largest lead of the contest at 46-38 on a layup from Hennessey Handy with 2:36 remaining in the frame. Lewis rebounded though finishing the quarter on an 11-2 run to retake the lead at 49-48 on two free throws from sophomore Ryann Ogarek (New Lenox, Ill./Providence Catholic) with 0:27 left in the stanza.

The lead changed hands three times in the first minute of the final frame as the Flyers trailed 52-51 before going on a 13-2 run over a span of 2:41 to build its largest lead of the game at 64-54 on a layup from Hart.

The Lions cut Lewis' lead to four points with less than two minutes to play on a layup from Devin Fuhring and had a chance to get closer after a Flyer turnover, but Julia Ruzevich missed a jumper and Ellen McCorkle missed a layup as Ogarek got the rebound after the McCorkle miss.

Hilber extended the lead to six hitting a layup on the break and then after a three-pointer from Jamie Bain cut the margin to three Hilber was fouled and hit two free throws with 0:17 left to seal the victory.

The Flyers struggled shooting the ball converting on only 35.3 percent (24-for-68) of their attempts from the field, were 1-of-15 from three but shot 77 percent (23-for-30) at the foul line. They forced a season-high 30 turnovers and turned those turnovers into 30 points. Lewis' bench outscored Lindenwood's bench 23-8.

The Lions finished the contest shooting 42.4 percent (25-for-59) from the floor, were 10-of-29 from three but shot only 41 percent (7-for-17) at the foul line. They outrebounded the Flyers 46-39. McCorkle finished with a double-double recording game-highs with 18 points and 13 rebounds. She was joined in double figures by Ruzevich with 17 points and Fuhring added 12 points.

Lewis is back in action on Saturday (Feb. 6) as it travels to Kirksville, Mo., to take on Truman State at 1 p.m. at Pershing Arena.