FLORENCE, Ala. — The Bellarmine University women's basketball team was on equal footing with North Alabama for much of Saturday's Atlantic Sun Conference contest at Flowers Hall, but the Lions took advantage of a one-sided third quarter in a 67-52 win over the Knights.
Bellarmine (2-15, 0-4 ASUN) was within three of North Alabama (6-9, 1-3) at halftime, but the Lions outscored the Knights 25-11 in the third quarter. Bellarmine made a push to get within 10 of UNA with around four minutes left in the final period before the Lions regrouped to secure the win.
Bellarmine outscored North Alabama in two of the quarters, 12-9 in the second and 18-16 in the fourth. The Lions led 17-11 after the first quarter, but the third period was the major difference in the contest, as UNA hit 11 of its 19 shots in the frame (57.9 percent) and opened up a 20-point lead.
Senior center
Patricia Sherrill posted career highs in points (11) and field goals made (five) and was one rebound shy of matching a career best after pulling down eight. Freshman center
Haya Abdel Aal supplied eight points, six rebounds and two blocks while sophomore guard
Ava Smith contributed nine points and five assists and sophomore forward
Kayce Hyman tallied nine points and three steals.
North Alabama jumped out to a 12-2 lead, but Bellarmine was within 17-11 by the end of the first quarter. A jumper by Sherrill sparked a 6-0 run to start the second as the Knights tied it up. It was a one-possession game at halftime, with North Alabama leading 26-23.
Injury-plagued Bellarmine didn't go lightly after North Alabama's advantage swelled to 20 near the end of the third quarter. The Knights answered with a 19-9 run, with freshman guard
Olivia Pifer's first collegiate field goal, a 3-pointer, followed by a backdoor layup from Abdel Aal to Hyman and a Smith basket to slice the deficit to 10 with 3:47 left.
UNA responded by scoring on its next two possessions to keep Bellarmine at bay. Gabby Jackson had a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Lions.
Bellarmine will host Austin Peay at 6:30 p.m. (ET) Thursday.
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