PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. – Paige Gallimore led all scorers with 28 points while Lindzy Cox tallied a career-high 16 points, but the Roosevelt women's basketball team couldn't hold a slim lead late as host Trinity Christian scored the game's final seven points in a 78-73 loss for the Lakers at the Trinity Athletics and Recreation Complex on Saturday.
Chelsey Crippen added 13 points for the Lakers (7-5, 4-3 CCAC), who engaged in a tight affair against the Trolls (7-6, 2-5 CCAC).
Both teams shot 50 percent from the field, and the Trolls would eventually build an 11-point lead in the second quarter that didn't last long as the Lakers chipped away. The guests in Green and White would rally to take a three-point lead in the third and an eight-point lead in the fourth following a trey canned by Cox during the freshman's best collegiate output to date.
Roosevelt would lead by two after a jumper from Gina Mathews with 1:27 left in regulation when the Trolls went on their decisive run. Celina Wanta made a jumper to tie the game, and then Bethany Jansma made a bucket and a pair of free throws to put the Trolls up four.
The Lakers committed a pair of turnovers while missing two threes in that span, and Trinity Christian held on for the win.
"There were two things that really hurt us today," Roosevelt head coach Keisha Newell said to begin her postgame thoughts. "One was turnovers and the other was getting away from our defensive principles. Turning the ball over 22 times and also giving up almost 80 points makes it really difficult to win, especially on the road. We fought hard to overcome a halftime deficit, but we just could not put the game away in the final minutes.
"With 10 newcomers on our roster we understand that there will be highs and lows all season," Newell said. "The best thing about our sport is that there are quick turnarounds. We will get after it in practice tomorrow and look to bounce back on Monday night."
Roosevelt will look to bounce back quickly as the Lakers host Marian (Wis.) this Monday, Dec. 19 at 5:30 p.m. inside the Goodman Center.
