Dec. 6, 2014 Final Stats
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SEATTLE - New faces stepped up for the LMU women's basketball team Saturday afternoon in Seattle, but the Lions could not overcome a shaky first-half of play in a 62-57 setback to the Redhawks at the Connolly Center.
Sophie Taylor paced LMU with 15 points, but it was Taylor Anderson's 14-point, 10-rebound double-double, Alyson Lock's career-high eight assists, Deshka Olson's career-high eight points and Bree Alford's seven boards and three steals that stood out as the Lions (2-5) made a second-half run.
Following a cold-shooting second half on Wednesday at Northern Arizona that saw the Lions hit just nine field goals, the squad saw more of the same in the first half Saturday, hitting just 9-of-32 from the field, including 2-of-11 from three.
Behind 10 points each from Wilma Afungo and Alexis Montgomery, the Redhawks (2-5) would build an 11-point, 30-19, lead late in the first half. Taylor would score five straight points, trimming the spread to six, 30-24, with 1:17 to go before an Afungo layup sent the Lions into the locker room trailing 32-24.
The sluggish play continued to open the second half, forcing Head Coach Charity Elliott to call a timeout two minutes in and make a full line change, substituting in the sophomore Lock and four freshmen in Olson, Alford, Makenzie Cast and Chloe Hall.
The young group brought energy back to the floor for LMU, which quickly got itself back into the game. Alford hit a layup with 1%:20 remaining and Anderson followed with six straight points, bringing the Lions to within four, 40-36. All four buckets were assisted by Lock.
Back-to-back buckets by Emily Ben-Jumbo and Deanna Johnson made it a three-point game, 47-44, with just under 10 minutes to play.
LMU's defense would hold the Redhawks without a field goal for more than five minutes as four straight points by Lock brought the Lions to within two, 50-48, with 4:17 to play.
Montgomery would break the spell for Seattle, draining a three on the ensuing possession. Anderson and Taylor knocked down back-to-back baskets to bring LMU to within a single point with 3:07 remaining, but Seattle would hit 9-of-10 from the free-throw line down the stretch, holding on for the 62-57 final.
Montgomery led all players with 26 points and 13 boards. Also in double figures for Seattle were Afungo with 12 points and Kaylee Best with 11.
Seattle hit 38 percent from the field for the game while LMU's 44-percent effort in the second half helped them to a 36-percent effort overall.
The Lions return to Gersten Pavilion on Saturday, Dec. 13, hosting Big West member UC Riverside at 7 p.m. LMU will play three of its final four non-conference games on it's home court, and all four in the LA area, as a Dec. 18 meeting at USC remains on the slate.
