ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Lynn women's basketball team put together a spirited road effort on Saturday afternoon, trimming a double-digit deficit and pushing into contention late, but ultimately came up short in a 65-54 setback at Eckerd in Sunshine State Conference action. After a slow first quarter, the Fighting Knights showed resilience behind balanced scoring and bench production, cutting the margin to 11 in the closing minutes before time expired
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Lynn set the tone early as Angelina DeLeon finished at the rim and Katie Tiffan scored in transition off a Trinity Mocadlo steal for a quick 4-0 lead
- The Fighting Knights' defense held up in the opening minutes, forcing several missed layups and jumpers from Eckerd before the Tritons used free throws to get on the board
- Turnovers began to swing momentum midway through the first quarter, as consecutive miscues led directly to layups and a three-pointer that pushed Eckerd in front, 12-6
- Alana Francis stopped the run with a mid-range jumper off a steal, and Tessa O'Leary and DeLeon added trips to the free-throw line to keep Lynn within single digits late in the opening frame
- Despite Lynn's efforts to settle in, Eckerd closed the first quarter with free throws and a late 3-pointer to build a 21-9 advantage after 10 minutes
- The Fighting Knights found a spark early in the second, with O'Leary finishing a driving layup, Jean-Glaude knocking down a three, and Mocadlo attacking the rim and converting at the line to cut the deficit to 30-19
- Lynn's defense generated multiple stops in the mid-second quarter, as Danigzy Mantilla came up with back-to-back steals and the Blue and White forced several empty possessions, but Eckerd answered with timely second-chance points to stay in control
- Francis added another strong take to the basket in the closing minute of the half, trimming the margin to 37-21 at the break after Lynn held Eckerd without a field goal on the final possession
- Coming out of halftime, the Fighting Knights crashed the offensive glass, with Serena Baker extending possessions and Tiffan capitalizing with a driving finish to pull Lynn back within 37-23
- O'Leary and Jean-Glaude fueled a key third-quarter surge, combining for a turnaround jumper, back-to-back drives, and free throws to slice the deficit to 47-35 before Eckerd responded with a pair of threes and paint touches to restore a double-digit cushion
- Early in the fourth, Lynn continued to battle as DeLeon buried a three, O'Leary hit a pull-up and Jean-Glaude connected twice more from beyond the arc to make it 65-50 with just over two minutes remaining
- The Fighting Knights finished with a late push as Wentworth scored on a driving layup and Tiffan converted a second-chance putback in the final minute, closing the gap to 65-54 at the buzzer in a hard-fought road effort
 
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS:
- Lynn moved to 7-2 overall and 2-1 in Sunshine State Conference play following Saturday's road contest at Eckerd
- Jean-Glaude led all Fighting Knights in scoring with 14 points, shooting 5-of-8 from the field and knocking down three triples to pace Lynn offensively
- O'Leary provided a strong presence off the bench, finishing with 11 points, seven rebounds, and a perfect 5-of-6 effort from the free-throw line
- DeLeon chipped in 10 points, three rebounds, and three assists, while accounting for multiple downhill finishes late in the game
- Lynn's depth showed again, as the bench accounted for 29 of the team's 54 points, outscoring Eckerd's reserves by a wide margin
- The Fighting Knights finished with 34 total rebounds, including 10 offensive boards, creating extended possessions throughout the afternoon
- Lynn found success attacking the interior, scoring 28 points in the paint, while adding four fast-break points on the road
- Defensively, the Blue and White forced nine turnovers and recorded nine steals, with contributions spread across the lineup
 
UP NEXT:
The Fighting Knights return home next weekend on Saturday, Dec. 13 to host Florida Southern at 2:00 pm for a SSC showdown in Boca.