Chicago, Ill. - A sluggish start proved to be too much for the Roosevelt women's basketball team to overcome as the Lakers lost to visiting #18 Saint Xavier 68-55 on Saturday afternoon at the Keating Sports Center.

The Cougars (18-6, 5-1) came out of the locker room firing, scoring the game's first eight points and eventually owning a 12-2 lead at the 15:40 mark. Roosevelt (13-13, 1-5) committed seven turnovers during that opening stretch and was just 1-for-7 from the field. Saint Xavier led by a 43-22 margin at the half after shooting 54 percent from the field in the opening stanza.

The Lakers outscored the Cougars 33-25 in the second half, but could not trim the deficit into single digits in the final 20 minutes.

Freshman Maria Tamburrino scored 11 points to lead the Lakers, while junior Peggie Parhas added 10 points and three assists. Freshman Jennie Van Hook came off the bench to contribute seven points and six rebounds.

Saint Xavier's Shalonda Young led all scorers with 22 points. She also pulled down a game-high eight rebounds.

Roosevelt will now hit the road for the next three games, starting on Tuesday, Feb. 15 with a trip to Indiana South Bend. Tip-off versus the Titans is set for 6:00 p.m. CST.