CHICAGO – The backcourt combo of Paige Gallimore and Becca Bergman accounted for 41 points and 18 rebounds, leading the Roosevelt women's basketball team past 18th-ranked St. Ambrose by a final of 59-50 in the two teams' CCAC opener at the Goodman Center on Wednesday evening.
Gallimore led all scorers with 21 points on 9-for-18 shooting from the floor to go along with a team-high 10 rebounds for a double-double effort, while Bergman tallied a career-high 20 points while pulling down eight boards, handing out four assists and pilfering three steals for the Lakers (2-1, 1-0 CCAC).
Reann McCarty led the Bees (2-3, 0-1 CCAC) with 16 points.
Despite the Bees' 55-41 rebounding advantage, including a 22-9 margin on the offensive glass, Roosevelt held St. Ambrose to just 29 percent shooting for the game, including a 1-for-22 showing from downtown.
The Lakers' defense tightened in crunch time, as Roosevelt allowed the Bees to shoot just 24 percent in the fourth quarter and made the guests go 0-for-7 from three-point range in the game's final 10 minutes.
Roosevelt took full advantage on the offensive end, as Bergman scored eight points during a 12-0 run that turned a one-point deficit with four and a half minutes left into a late 11-point lead for the hosts.
"Today was a great effort all around from our team," said Roosevelt head coach Keisha Newell. "I'm proud of the grit and heart that we played with all four quarters.
"Paige was great tonight and got us key buckets and rebounds when we needed them," Newell said. "Becca was a great floor general and helped seal the deal by knocking down 11 of 12 free throws.
"Adding to that, we got contributions from so many other players that do not quite show up on the stat sheet, bench included," Newell said. "I'm thankful for the growth and progress that our team is making in such a short time. Our coaching staff is looking forward to continually helping to bring out the best in our players both on and off the court."
The Lakers host Calumet St. Joseph this Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Goodman Center.
