The Lee women's basketball team survived a very physical battle with Evangel University (Mo.), winning 56-53 Saturday afternoon at Walker Arena. The game was apart of the annual Jack Souther Classic, hosted each year by the Lady Flames.
The Lady Crusaders had an opportunity to tie the game in the final seconds, but Lee's defense was able to come up with one more big stop, forcing an off balance shot which fell short of the rim as time expired.
The victory moves the Lady Flames to 3-0 on the young season.
The loss drops Evangel to 0-3.
"This was a very physical game and we came out a little soft. That being said we responded in the second half and at the end of the game and came up with some really tough plays in the end to pull it out. We've got to find a way to be more consistent with our toughness as a group." stated assistant coach Jan Spangler.
Hollie German once again lead the way for the Lady Flames. The junior scored 25 points to lead all scorers. German was 9-of-19 from the field, converting 4-for-10 from behind the arc.
"Hollie is relentless and is going to find a way to score no matter what they throw at her however we really need someone else to step up on that end of the court" noted Spangler.
Karley Miller and Mary Jackson provided a punch in the post. Miller had six points and six boards while Jackson added seven points to go along with five rebounds.
Much like the score, the stat sheet was very even on both sides. Lee held a slight rebouding edge 34-33. Evangel committed 14 turnovers while the Lady Flames gave it up 15 times. Neither team held a double-digit lead throughout the contest. Lee's largest advantage was six points while Evangel held an early nine point lead in the first half.
The Lady Flames shot 37 percent from the field going 19-for-52. Lee's defense held Evangel to just 33 percent shooting from the field. The Lady Crusaders did most of their damage on the offensive end from behind the arc, shooting 43 percent (6-of-14).
"Being able to grind this one out and find a way to win was a great experience for our team and definitely something we will continue to build on." added Spangler.
Sierra McSpadden lead the way for the Springfield,Mo. based club. She registered a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Emily Akins was the only other Lady Crusader in double-figures with 11 points.
In the early game, Auburn-Montgomery (AUM) defeated UVa.-Wise 69-47.
The Lady Flames will be back in action next Friday as they begin conference play on the road traveling to Montgomery, Ala. to tangle with SSAC rival AUM. Tip time is set for 6:30 p.m.