ST. CHARLES, MO. - The Lindenwood women's basketball team was defeated by Manhattan College in the first game of the GCU Thanksgiving Classic by a final score of 53-69 on Friday afternoon in Phoenix, Arizona.

"Today did not go the way we wanted it to, but there is a lot we can take away that will make us a better team moving forward," said Head Coach Katie Falco. "Great thing is we have another opportunity tomorrow to compete, and we are excited about getting back at it." 

GAME OVERVIEW
The Lions kept it tight the first quarter, never letting the Jaspers get too far away from them. With three different Lions putting points up on the scoreboard during the first quarter of play, the score sat at 14-19 heading into the second. 

In the second quarter, the Lions would remain scoreless until there was 4:25 left on the clock and Sophia Horton would get her first basket of the season to break the six-minute scoring drought. Mary McGrath would follow suit shortly after, knocking down a three on the Lions' next possession to try to close the gap, but Manhattan would hold onto their lead for the duration of the quarter, heading into halftime up 22-29. 

After the half, more Lions got in on the scoring action, with Paige Craft, Emily Benzschawel and Makayla Wallace knocking down their first points of the game at various times throughout the third quarter. However, the Jaspers' offense was slightly sharper, putting Lindenwood's defense to the test and still hanging onto that lead, with Lindenwood trailing 37-45 before the fourth. 

The Lions fought hard for the comeback in the fourth, but were ultimately not able to come back from the deficit. Manhattan's Petra Juric was a tough one to stop, draining 22 points and grabbing 12 rebounds on the day against the Lions for her second double-double in a row. McGrath was the heavy-hitter for the Lions for a second game in a row, knocking down 16 points as well as grabbing eight total rebounds.

GAME LEADERS
Mary McGrath - 16 P, 8 RB, 2 A, 2 B, 1 ST
Paige Craft - 11 P, 2 RB, 3 A, 1 ST

UP NEXT
The Lions will continue their Grand Canyon Thanksgiving Classic tomorrow against the hosts themselves at 1:00 CST.