SAN ANTONIO, Tx. – Worcester State came from 15 points down to tie the game in the fourth quarter, but were not able to grab a lead and fell 76-69 to Trinity (TX) in a non-conference women's basketball game on Wednesday afternoon at the Bell Center.
Gigi LeMay (Grafton, Mass.) led the way with 18 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. She went 5-5 from the field to open the game and ended the night 9-12 while collecting her fourth double-double of the year.
The Lancers (5-6) had a 50-35 edge in rebounding, but committed 23 turnovers, leading to 21 points for the Tigers. They also went just 3-13 at the foul line and saw Trinity senior Hailey Coleman (Kansas City, Mo.) score 21 points.
Coleman, one of four Tigers in double-figures, completed her own double-double with 10 rebounds.
Worcester led by double digits in the first quarter, but Trinity (7-2) ended the period on a 9-0 run, and then outscored the Lancers 26-14 in the second to take an 11-point edge to the break.
With 6:21 to play in the third, Coleman made a layup to give the home team a 52-37 lead. That's when Sarah Blomgren (Lunenburg, Mass.) and the Lancers went to work. Blomgren scored the next five points and Abby St. Martin (Putnam, Conn.) scored six points before the quarter ended to help the Lancers pull to within five at the third intermission.
Calli Korbey (Hopkinton, Mass.) knocked down a pair of jumpers and LeMay ran the floor for fast break layups on back to back plays to tie the game at 66 with 6:42 remaining.
The Tigers scored the next two baskets, however, and although Erin Gallella (Tewksbury, Mass.) knocked down a triple to keep the game within one, Coleman continued to knock down jumpers in the paint, including the final dagger to give the Tigers their seven-point advantage with thirty seconds to play.
Erin Gallella scored 17 points and had 5 assists in the loss, while St. Martin came off the bench to score ten points and grab 6 rebounds. Korbey was 3-5 from the floor for six points, and Blomgren added eight points and eight rebounds.
With tomorrow's game at Texas Lutheran cancelled due to Covid issues in the TLU program, the Lancers will have to wait until after they celebrate the new year before taking to the court again. That will also mark the beginning of Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) play when they host Salem State on January 5th.