BUFFALO, NY - The Franciscan University women's basketball team let a close game slip down the stretch, as they fell 67-43 to conference opponent Medaille College on Saturday. 

The Lady Barons found themselves down 9-3 halfway through the first quarter of action after several midrange jumpers wouldn't fall during the early minutes. Sophomore guard Abby Baierl put two points on the board for Franciscan at the six-minute mark, assisted by guard Reagan Stead, one of three on the day for the junior. The Lady Barons would convert only four of 16 shots during the first quarter; freshman guard Annie McGraw would sink a jumper nine seconds before the buzzer sounded, cutting the Medaille lead to ten. 

Down 19-9 to begin the second quarter, the Lady Barons wasted little time cutting into the Mavericks' lead. A McGraw steal and an assist from junior guard Gaby DeJesus to sophomore guard Kaitlyn Sonneberger went for a quick two points and brought the deficit again into single digits. Franciscan would trade baskets with Medaille for the majority of the quarter; DeJesus and Sonneberger would add five and seven of their respective 14 and 15 total points before the buzzer for halftime would sound, and would render the Medaille lead to only three, with less than four minutes to play until halftime. The Mavericks would convert lane penetration into a late-quarter run and would lead 33-23 at the half.

The Lady Barons would be outscored in the third quarter 16-15, though with field goal and three-point percentages at 46 and 50% respectively, it would be their best quarter of play. Less than a minute into action, DeJesus would sink a deep three-pointer, before Sonneberger recorded four points in less than thirty seconds. McGraw added a three-pointer of her own at the 2:37 mark, though a late Medaille answer from beyond the arc would actually extend the 49-38 Maverick lead, as teams prepared for the final quarter of play.

Medaille College successfully distanced themselves from any residual chances of a Lady Barons comeback, putting up 18 points to Franciscan's five in the final ten minutes of play. The Mavericks would find penetration into the lane early and often, leaning on their ability to run the floor in the game's closing minutes. A scoring drought just shy of seven minutes also plagued Franciscan's scoring opportunities, though on the defensive end of the floor, sophomores Kelsey Scott-Avery and Rose Judge turned in multiple steals and defensive rebounds alike.

The final buzzer put a 67-43 loss for the Lady Barons into the books, and dropped Franciscan to 0-13 on the season. The young team will look for their first win of the season on Wednesday, January 17 at 8 pm, as they take on tough opposition in conference opponent Mt. Aloysius.