ST. CHARLES, MO. - The Lindenwood women's basketball team fell in a 74-79 heartbreaker against Tennessee State on Saturday afternoon in Hyland Arena.

"It was a heck of a fight today," said Head Coach Katie Falco. "Our ladies really battled the entire game, and just fell short at the end. I couldn't be more proud of our team's preparation, focus and how hard we played. This one hurts, but we are going to use it as a building block moving forward."

GAME OVERVIEW
From the opening whistle, the Lions and the Tigers were evenly matched, answering one another point for point. Lindenwood knocked down 7-13 of their field goals and 3-6 of their three-pointers, stringing together 53.8% and 50.0% shooting percentages respectively. The Lions had a two-point lead at the conclusion of their strong first quarter, on top 18-16 heading into the second. 

The Lions were able to keep their momentum rolling in the second, despite Tennessee Tech becoming increasingly physical in the paint. The matchup between Makayla Wallace and TSU's Gia Adams was definitely one to note, with a fun-to-watch defensive battle happening all game long. 

The second quarter resulted in 16 more points from the Tigers, while Lindenwood knocked down another 15 after shooting an impressive 60% from the floor and 50% from outside the arc. The score stood at 33-32 heading into halftime, with Lindenwood out in front in a narrow one-point lead.

Both the Lions and the Tigers put up 26 points a piece in the third quarter, which even solidified how neck and neck the game really was. It wasn't until the fourth quarter when a lead larger than one point would come into play. Lindenwood was able to run up a 7-point lead with 5:22 remaining in the game, but the Tigers were able to get their 7-point lead in the final seconds of the game (0:14). 

The two teams were separated by a mere six point fourth quarter, with TSU finding 21 total points as opposed to Lindenwood's 15, which would ultimately be their downfall. 

Mary McGrath executed her sixth team-leading performance in a row, with 18 total points and eight total rebounds to lead the Lions in both categories again. Masyn McWilliams and Devin Fuhring would also score in double figures, knocking down 16 and 15 points respectively. Other noteworthy performances came from Wallace, who kept the offense moving with a season and team-high six total assists, while McWilliams was also dominant on the boards today with her six rebounds. 

As a team, the Lions completed their highest-scoring OVC game so far this year, shooting an extremely strong 47.9% from the floor and 45.0% from outside the three-point line. Lindenwood was also more active in the assists category than the visiting Tigers, compiling 19 total assists from eight different players, four of which had more than one. 

GAME LEADERS
Mary McGrath - 18 P, 8 RB, 1 A, 2 ST, 2 BLK
Masyn McWilliams - 16 P, 6 RB, 1 A, 2 ST
Devin Fuhring - 15 P, 3 RB, 4 A, 2 ST

UP NEXT
The Lions will next hit the road to take on SEMO on Thursday in Cape Girardeau starting at 5:00 p.m.