DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Davenport and Saint Leo both were looking for a win on Saturday afternoon after each losing in the first game on Friday at the Embry-Riddle Holiday Classic. The Lions entered with a very respectable 7-3 record and pulled out the 84-67 victory over the Panthers. Davenport has now dropped three straight and five of six to stand at 5-7 overall.
The Panthers for the second straight day was hurt by a poor second quarter. Saint Leo trailed 18-12 after the first quarter, but outscored Davenport 31-14 in the second quarter to take a 43-32 lead into halftime. DU managed to shoot 27.8 percent and made four of their five field goals behind the arc. Saint Leo was red-hot going 12-of-16 from the floor including 6-of-7 behind the arc.
Sophomore
Lillee Gustafson set a career-high and tied for the sixth-most points in a game at Davenport with 35 points. She shattered her previous high of 19 points set earlier this season against Northwood. Gustafson also grabbed 12 rebounds for her seventh double-double of her career and fifth this season. She finished 13-of-18 from the floor and was 9-of-14 at the free throw line. Gustafson scored 12 points in the first quarter, zero points in the second quarter, 10 in the third quarter, and 13 in the fourth.
Davenport led 7-0 in less than two minutes and increased that lead to 18-3 with 3:20 left in the first quarter. The Lions would then get back into the game with a 9-0 run to end the quarter.
Scout Nelson made a layup to make it 20-14 at the 9:23 mark of the second quarter. Saint Leo went on a 10-0 run to take a 24-20 lead at the 7:54 mark.
Mary Liedel canned a triple on the next possession for the Panthers, but DU would not score again until
Lauren Wood's three-pointer with 2:44 left until halftime and the Panthers trailed 33-26. Wood connected on three straight long-range shots, however the Lions matched it and led 43-32 at halftime.
The lead grew to 16 points in the first three minutes of the third quarter for Saint Leo before the Panthers scored seven straight to make it 48-39 at the 5:22 mark. DU knocked it down to 53-47 at the 1:40 mark after a Gustafson layup, but the Lions scored the last six points of the quarter to lead 59-47. Gustafson hit a free throw with 8:34 left in the game to make it 59-51, but that was the last time the deficit would be single digits.
Wood finished with a season-high 12 points and went 4-of-5 from the arc. She played in her third game of the season and is now 7-of-8 total from deep. Nelson added eight points, two assists and two steals.
Alexa Kolnitys played all 40 minutes and finished with three points, three rebounds, and four assists.
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