STEUBENVILLE – Franciscan gave a valiant effort against the AMCC leader, La Roche College on Wednesday, February 6 in Finnegan Fieldhouse. The Lady Barons matched the Redhawk's intensity, never giving up.

Possession in the first quarter bounced back and forth between both teams, both taking leads at different points. Senior Reagan Stead drained three four-pointers in the first quarter, giving the Lady Barons an offensive edge. La Roche answered with a three-pointer, but fell short, ending the first quarter behind by three points. The first quarter was the only quarter the Lady Barons outscored the Redhawks.

La Roche tied up the score in the second quarter. Possession bounced back and forth again between the two teams. Junior Abby Baierl hit a three-pointer, giving the Lady Barons the lead once again. A good jumper from Stead added to the offensive effort. A deep three-pointer for the Redhawks gave them the lead heading into the second half. The score was 37-34.

Entering the second half, the Redhawks took their largest lead of the game, after making several breakaway layups on turnovers by the Lady Barons. Franciscan quickly regained their footing, closing the gap with a good layup from freshman Grace Godich and senior Gaby DeJesus. Soon enough, the Lady Barons were within three points of the Redhawks.

The Lady Barons tied up the score in the fourth quarter with another three-pointer by Reagan Stead. Franciscan took the lead, but La Roche did not hesitate to answer to the offensive surge. The Redhawks gained a two-point lead which grew as Franciscan had no choice but to foul in order to stop the clock to get an opportunity to score. The final score was 68-62.

The Lady Barons shot 43.5% form the floor. Abby Baierl lead the team in points, scoring 19. Reagan Stead contributed thirteen points.

Franciscan will host Hilbert College in their next AMCC matchup on Saturday, February 9 at 2 PM.