ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – The Lewis University women's basketball team won, 72-71, over Maryville in its Great Lakes Valley Conference opener Saturday afternoon at Neil Carey Arena. The Flyers were 13/27 (.481) from three-point range in the victory.

LEWIS LEADERS
Points: Grace Hilber (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) (23), Jenna Badali (Oak Lawn, Ill./Mother McAuley) (16), Kathryn Schmidt (Hampshire, Ill./Burlington Central) (16)
Rebounds: Taylor Gugliuzza (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way West) (7), Schmidt (5), Gabrielle Hoover (Mishawaka, Ind./La Lumiere) (5)
Assists: Badali (6), Gugliuzza (5)
Steals: Hilber (1), Schmidt (1), Badali (1), Lily Courier (LaGrange, Ill./Lyons Township) (1)
Blocks: Gugliuzza (1)

RECORDS
Lewis 2-2 (1-0 GLVC) | Maryville 2-3 (0-1 GLVC)

SUMMARY
It was back-and-forth early until an 8-0 run by Maryville made it 13-5 Saints. Lewis charged right back with an 11-3 charge to tie the score at 16.

Maryville made a jump shot to finish the first quarter with the 18-16 lead. Hilber led all scorers with eight points in the opening frame.

Staunch defense to open the second quarter by the Flyers helped Lewis briefly take a 21-20 lead, but the Saints responded with a 9-3 run to regain the advantage.

Lewis got back to within one point at halftime, closing the second quarter with a 9-4 push to cut the Maryville lead to 37-36. The Flyers were 7/14 (.500) from three-point range in the first half, with Hilber leading the way offensively with 14 points and two assists.

The second half started with the Saints increasing the lead to five points and then going back-and-forth with Lewis for the first four minutes. The Flyers then grabbed the lead with a 7-0 run, but Maryville punched back by scoring the last four points of the quarter, and carried a 52-50 lead into the fourth.

Badali made a three-point jumper to put Lewis in front early in the final fram, but the Saints scored the next four points to regain the advantage. The Flyers were unfazed, scoring the next eight to take a 61-56 lead.

Maryville fought back with a 6-2 push to trim the Lewis lead to one, but a three-pointer by Hilber put the Flyers back up by four. Lewis pushed the lead to six points going into the final minute, and withstood the Saints' last-minute push to hold on for the 72-71 win.

UP NEXT
Lewis women's basketball travels to Truman State Monday (Nov. 27) at 5:15 p.m. CT as GLVC play continues.