ROMEOVIILE, Ill. – Lewis University's women's basketball team snapped its three-game losing streak with a 73-68 win over Lindenwood on Monday evening at Neil Carey Arena. The Flyers improve to 4-9, 2-3 GLVC while the Lions fall to 7-6, 4-2 GLVC.

Lewis scored the first bucket of the game on a layup by Taylor Gugliuzza (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way West) but Lindenwood ran off nine straight to take its largest lead of the quarter at 9-2 and forced the Flyers to take a timeout 3:16 into the contest.

Lewis regained the lead thanks to a 12-4 run on another layup from Tay. Gugliuzza with less than three minutes to play in the opening stanza. The Lions scored six straight points to regain the lead and push it to five but Kae Barth-Lofton's (St. Paul, Minn./Maranatha Christian Academy) second three near the end of the frame cut Lindenwood's lead to 19-17.

The Lions opened the second quarter hitting back-to-back three's from Gracie Neff and Alana Striverson to take its largest lead of the game at eight just 78 seconds in. The Flyers fought back to within two after Tay. Gugliuzza's second three of the contest a minute later.

Lindenwood stretched its lead back to six on a layup from Ellen McCorkle near the midway point of the frame but Lewis closed the half strong scoring seven of the final 10 points to cut the Lion lead to two points at halftime on a layup from Barth-Lofton.

The Flyers opened the third quarter on an 10-1 run to take its first lead since early in the game and would stretch it to seven on a layup from Grace Hilber (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie). Lindenwood answered with an 8-2 run of its own to trim Lewis' lead to 44-43 after an old-fashioned three-point play from McCorkle.

The Flyers went on to outscore the Lions 6-4 over the final 4:38 of the quarter to take a three-point lead into the final 10 minutes.

Lindenwood tied the score twice early in the final stanza but Lewis never relinquished the lead and extended it to as many as eight points with 3:46 to play on two free throws from Hilber.

The Lions cut the margin to three on a putback by Julia Ruzevich but Amelia Motz (Canton, Ohio/St. Vincent-St. Mary) answered on the other end as she hit a driving layup and was fouled by McCorkle. She hit the free throw to extend the lead to six with 1:23 remaining.

Lewis struggled at the foul line in the final minute hitting just 5-of-10 free throws which allowed Lindenwood to get within 69-67 after a three-pointer by McCorkle from the right wing.
Tay. Gugliuzza hit 1-of-2 free throws with 0:13 left to extend the lead back to four before Hennessey Handy split a pair of free throws with 0:09 to go to cut the lead to three. Motz got the rebound on the missed and was immediately fouled. She went to the line and buried both free throws to extend the lead to five.

The Lions missed a shot near the end of the regulation and Motz came away with the rebound to seal the win.

Lewis shot 37 percent (24-for-65) from the floor, was 9-of-19 from three and shot 73 percent at the foul line. Hilber led four Flyers in double figures with 13 points while Kathryn Schmidt (Hampshire, Ill./Burlington Central) and Tay. Gugliuzza had 12 points each and Tara Gugliuzza (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way West) finished with 11 points. Schmidt, Tay. Gugliuzza and Shawnton Brown (Joliet, Ill./Joliet Central) had five rebounds each. Schmidt also added four assists.

Lindenwood shot 40 percent (24-for-60) from the field, was 8-of-26 from three and shot 71 percent from the charity stripe. Ruzevich led all scorers with 18 points while McCorkle dropped home 15 and Devin Fuhring finished with 13 points. Ruzevich also added a game-high 11 rebounds and Neff had a game-high seven assists.

Lewis begins a three-game road trip this Thursday (Jan. 20) as it travels to Indianapolis to take on UIndy at 4:30 p.m. (CST).