ST. CHARLES, Mo. – The Lewis University women's basketball team was crowned GLVC Tournament Champions after beating Drury, 79-67, Sunday in the title game.
Jenna Badali (Oak Lawn, Ill./Mother McAuley) had a career-high 31 points to help lead the Flyers to victory.
LEWIS LEADERS
Points: Badali (31),
Grace Hilber (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) (17),
Taylor Gugliuzza (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way West) (14)
Rebounds: Hilber (7),
Cierra McNamee (Moline, Ill.) (6), Badali (6)
Assists: Badali (5)
Steals: Badali (3)
Blocks: Four players tied (1)
RECORDS
(1) Lewis 23-8 | (3) Drury 25-6
SUMMARY
Both teams traded baskets to start the game before Badali drilled a three-point shot to give Lewis a 7-4 lead. After Drury worked back to a tie at 9-9, Hilber knocked down a triple to make it 12-9 Flyers.
Moments later, Lewis used a 10-0 run featuring threes from Badali and
Kathryn Schmidt (Hampshire, Ill./Burlington Central) to make it 22-11 before the Panthers made a free throw to make it 22-12 after the first quarter. The Flyers shot 9/14 (643) from the field in the opening frame while holding Drury to 5/16 (.313).
Badali and Hilber both connected from deep early in the second quarter for Lewis to bring the lead to 28-16. A conventional three-point play by Gugliuzza later set the score at 35-20 with 5:36 left in the first half.
The Panthers then went on a run, with 13 of the next 17 points to cut its deficit to 39-33 and a late free throw by Badali made it 40-33 Lewis at halftime.
Drury scored the first five points of the second half to get within two, 40-38, but then the Flyers pulled away again. Lewis used an 8-1 run capped by a three ball from Badali to make it 48-39 and pushed the scoring run to 15-3 after a three-pointer by Gugliuzza made it 55-41.
Both sides traded buckets the rest of the third quarter, with the Panthers edging closer and finishing the quarter at 60-49 in favor of the Flyers. Drury kept pushing early in the fourth to cut the deficit to 62-56 with seven minutes to play.
From there, it was back-and-forth as Badali hit a three before the Panthers answered with one of its own and later back-to-back baskets for Drury made it 71-67 Lewis with 2:45 to play before both offenses came to a screeching halt.
No more field goals were scored the rest of the game and Lewis made all eight of its free throws down the stretch to pull away with the 79-67 victory.
Badali, Gugliuzza, Hilber were all named to the All-GLVC Tournament Team. Badali was named MVP after averaging 23.7 points per game, shooting 63 percent from the floor and 53 percent from deep as well as six rebounds and 4.6 assists a contest.
UP NEXT
Lewis women's basketball awaits its seed and opponent for the NCAA Division-II Midwest Regional, which will be announced at 9:30 p.m. CT Sunday (March 10).
