ROLLA, Mo. – The Lewis University women's basketball team fell to Missouri S&T 72-67 Saturday (Feb. 26) in the Great Lakes Valley Conference regular season finale. The Flyers finish the regular season 13-14 overall, 11-8 in the GLVC, while the Miners finish 11-15 overall, 8-12 in the GLVC.
The Flyers used an early 7-0 run to build a 9-3 lead midway through the first quarter. The lead was built to 13-5 after the first quarter after a three-pointer and free throw from Amelia Motz (Canton, Ohio/St. Vincent-St. Mary).
Lewis extended the lead to 12 points with 5:25 remaining in the first half on a jumper by Kathryn Schmidt (Hampshire, Ill./Burlington Central) and a pair of free throws to make it 17-5. Overall the Flyers held the Miners scoreless for more than nine minutes.
Missouri S&T was able to come back to make it a 23-17 deficit at the half.
The Miners moved in front 29-27 on a three-pointer with 6:51 left in the third quarter. Lewis responded with four straight points to take the lead back, but the quarter would end with the two teams tied at 39-39.
A 9-2 Miner run midway through the fourth quarter pulled them ahead 53-46 with 3:34 left in the game. The Flyers came back with six straight on baskets by Stephanie Hart (Geneva, Ill./Geneva), Schmidt and Grace Hilber (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) to make it 53-52 with 1:26 remaining.
The Miners converted one free throw with 10 seconds left to take a two-point lead. Schmidt then tied the game with a pair of free throws with three seconds left to force overtime.
Lewis took an early lead in overtime with a three-pointer from Lily Courier (LaGrange, Ill./Lyons Township). However, Missouri S&T came back with five straight points to pull ahead 59-57. A Hilber three-pointer put the Flyers back up a point. But eight straight points from the Miners pulled them ahead 67-60 with 41 seconds left. Four Flyer points got them to within four with 27 seconds left, but four Miner free throws clinched the game.
Schmidt led the Flyers with 18 points and eight rebounds, while Hilber had 16 points and Taylor Gugliuzza (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way West) added 11 points and 11 rebounds. Lewis shot 31.6 percent (24-of-76) from the floor and 23.1 percent (6-of-26) from the three-point line, while the Miners shot 34.8 percent (24-of-69) from the field and 26.1 percent (6-of-23) from beyond the arc. Lewis held a 52-50 rebounding edge in the contest.
The Flyers earned the No. 5 seed in the GLVC Tournament and will host No. 12 Maryville Monday at 5 p.m.
