LAKELAND, Fla. – The Lewis University women's basketball team fell, 73-70, in overtime Saturday (Dec. 16) at Florida Southern in the Century Retail Christmas Classic. Grace Hilber (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) set a new career-high with 27 points on 10/20 (.500) shooting from the field and 5/9 (.556) from the three-point line.

LEWIS LEADERS
Points: Hilber (27), Kathryn Schmidt (Hampshire, Ill./Burlington Central) (14), Taylor Gugliuzza (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way West) (12)
Rebounds: Schmidt (11), Gugliuzza (6)
Assists: Gugiuzza (4)
Steals: Tara Gugliuzza (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way West) (3), Schmidt (3), Tay. Gugliuzza (2)
Blocks: Cierra McNamee (Moline, Ill.) (2)

RECORDS
Florida Southern 7-3 | Lewis 6-5

SUMMARY
The Flyers could get nothing going offensively in the first quarter, as Florida Southern started the game on an 18-2 run that lasted nearly eight minutes. At the 2:18 mark, Schmidt made a layup for Lewis but the Mocs then scored five more to push the lead to 19 points.

At the end of the first, Florida Southern led 25-7. The Mocs were 10/17 (.588) from the field and 4/7 (.571) from three-point range while the Flyers were just 3/13 (.231) from the field and 0/5 from deep.

Lewis started the second quarter on a 7-3 push capped off by a three from Tara Gugliuzza (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way West). After four points for Florida Southern, the Flyers charged again, scoring 11 of the next 13 points to cut the deficit to nine.

Lily Courier (LaGrange, Ill./Lyons Township) had a put-back layup just before halftime to put the score at 37-27 Mocs. Lewis was much better offensively in the second quarter, scoring 20 points on 8/15 (.533) shooting in the frame.

The Flyers scored on four of its first five possessions of the third, securing a 10-2 run after a three by Hilber. Later, a 9-0 Lewis burst with seven more points from Hilber gave the Flyers a five-point lead, its first lead of the game.

Florida Southern responded with a 7-0 run of its own to regain the lead, and the teams went back-and-forth to the end of the third as a pair of free throws by Tay. Gugliuzza put the Flyers ahead, 51-50, heading to the final frame. Lewis had 24 points in the third, with 15 coming from Hilber.

Hilber stayed on the attack with an early deep ball in the fourth to push the Flyer lead to four points. A three-pointer by the Mocs with 6:03 to go made it 58-56 Lewis, and both offenses then went silent.

Schmidt sank a pair of free throws over three minutes later to finally break the scoreless drought, and Florida Southern got two free throws of its own to bring it back to a two-point game with 1:24 remaining. Schmidt then found Gabby Hoover for a layup on the Flyers' next possession to go up 62-58 with one minute remaining.

Arielle Dabu hit a huge three for the Mocs to trim it to one point, and Lewis got a huge offensive rebound by Hoover on the next possession, who then went 1/2 from the free throw line to take a two point lead with nine seconds remaining. Arriyana Bracero then made a shot from the baseline in the last second to force overtime.

In the OT period, Hilber sank a jumper on the first possession to set a new career-high in points, breaking her previous high of 26 set on Feb. 5, '22 and Nov. 27 '23. After the Mocs went up one with 3:01 to play, the Flyers grabbed four offensive rebounds in one possession before Hoover knocked down a free throw to tie it.

Florida Southern then got a bucket to take the lead, and Lewis was forced to foul. After the Mocs missed a pair of free throws, it grabbed an offensive rebound, Hilber fouled out and FSC went up four with 7.9 seconds left. Schmidt was able to grab a late layup but that was all Lewis could get.

UP NEXT
Lewis women's basketball takes its winter break, resuming play January 3, 2024 hosting Missouri S&T as GLVC play revs back up.