Strong Third Quarter Fuels Win Over Santa Cruz

The Austin College women's basketball team trailed at the half, but a stellar defensive effort in the third quarter allowed the 'Roos to come away with a 62-54 victory over UC Santa Cruz on Friday night. The 'Roos improve to 4-0 overall with the victory.

After taking an early 10-9 lead, the 'Roos fell behind when Santa Cruz went on an 8-1 run late in the first quarter, ultimately taking a 17-13 lead after one period of action. The Banana Slugs' lead grew to as much as nine at 24-15, but eight straight points from Bryce Frank cut it to a 28-23 deficit with 2:21 left in the opening half. A Brianna Harvey three pointer with 14 seconds on the clock would trim it to a 31-30 margin at halftime.

The 'Roos held the Banana Slugs to just seven points in the third quarter to take control of the game, nearly pushing the lead to double digits at 45-36 on a pair of Kelly Lynch free throws, before taking a 45-38 cushion into the fourth quarter. Austin College kept piling on, getting the lead up to 13 at 52-39, and Santa Cruz was unable to get the margin under five points the rest of the way.

Frank finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds, eight of which came on the offensive glass. Kendall Heitmeier had 12 points, five rebounds, and three assists, and Harvey hit 3-of-5 triples on her way to 11 points. Chrissy Ray chipped in 10 points in the victory.