Box Score STEUBENVILLE, Ohio–A strong defensive performance was not able to make up for a cold shooting night as the Lady Barons ultimately fell 62-50 at home to Mount Aloysius.
Though the score indicated an FUS improvement over the two team's first matchup, Mount Aloysius, who was tied for eighth in the conference at 3-6 coming into the game, was able to best the Lady Barons for the second time this season.
"Tonight's game was a tough one because we did not shoot well," head women's basketball coach Suzy Delaney said. "We dug ourselves a hole in the first half because of it."
The Lady Barons started the night shooting only 21 percent in the first half, taking a lot of shots but not making many of them, with the trend continuing in the second half. Senior forward Lacey Huck was the only productive shot maker in the first half, scoring six of her eight points in the first 20 minutes.
Down 15 points to start the second half, FUS came out with more defensive fire, putting pressure on the ball and forcing Mount Aloysius to turn the ball over 17 times in the half. The increased amount of turnovers and 18 team rebounds on the offensive glass to get second-chance points helped the Lady Barons cut the lead to three points.
"I was proud of our defensive fire in the second half," Delaney said, "And how it got us right back in the game."
Freshman guard Sarah Schriner led all scoring in the second half with 16 of her team-high 17 points, all of her made field goals coming from behind the three-point arc.
The bench performance of freshman forward Lucia Westrick was also able to give the Lady Barons a lift in the second half. Westrick finished tied for the team's top rebounder with seven rebounds and also added six points offensively while playing a majority of her minutes in the second half.
Playing their fourth game in eight days has taken a toll on the Lady Barons as they struggled to keep up late in the second half as Mount Aloysius began to pull away.
"We expended all the energy in the comeback and, in the process, had a couple mental lapses which hurt us," Delaney said. "We just have to be resolute in our efforts to battle on the court for 40 minutes and we get another opportunity on Saturday at Bradford."
The Lady Barons aim to improve their mental stamina facing a tough Pitt.-Bradford team on the road January 24 at 2 pm.
