SAINT LEO, Fla. -- Barry University women's basketball team lost in a down-to-the-wire finish at Saint Leo Saturday, 90-88. It dropped the Buccaneers record to 11-9 overall, 4-7 in the Sunshine State Conference.
Barry trailed by 13 2:03 into the second half, but a 10-2 run in less than two minutes ignited by senior Colette Eule, who returned to the lineup after sitting out Wednesday's game, brought the Bucs back within five. Eule buried one of her six triples at the 17:37 mark to make it a 10-point game. A layup by Kaylia Richardson, triple by Ines Kerin and pair of free throws by Tyler Hardy pulled the Bucs within 52-47 with 15:43 to go.
Saint Leo (15-6, 6-5) bumped its lead back to nine on a Chachi Guzman hoop at the 14:58 mark, but the Buccaneers went on another run, this time an 8-2 surge over a 1:19 span. Richardson's basket at the 14:42 mark triggered the run, which included three free throws by Hardy and another triple by Eule. That cut the Lions lead to 60-57 with 13:23 to go.
Hardy's 3-pointer at the 10:20 mark made it a two-point game, 62-60, before the Lions crept back ahead by seven 1:17 later. Barry sophomore forward Emily Schahczinski's basket in the paint tied the game at 73-73 with 6:38 remaining. After Kinnara Lewis' 3-point goal extended the Lions lead back to three, 78-75, with 5:21 left, but Eule tripled on the next trip down the floor, was fouled and sank the free throw to give Barry a 79-78 lead.
Nyjah Porcher's jumper in the paint at the 3:11 mark kept the Buccaneers in front, 82-80. Guzman sank a pair of free throws with 2:07 to go to break the 11th of 12 ties in the game, but Porcher buried a triple to give the lead back to the Bucs.
Saint Leo's Chelsea Williams sank a pair of free throws to tie it at 85-85 with 1:30 remaining to start a 7-0 Lions run, and the Bucs couldn't score until Kerin buried her second three with four seconds left to make it a two-point game. But Saint Leo ran out the clock, and Barry didn't get another possession.
Hardy had 26 points, hitting 13 of 14 free throws, and pulled down five rebounds while dishing out four assists and coming up with two steals and a block. Eule finished with 24 points, going 6-for-12 from beyond the arc, and had five boards, three assists and a steal.
Porcher went 5 of 6 from the field and 4 of 4 from the free throw line to finish with 15 points and two steals. Richardson had 13 points and five rebounds.
The Buccaneers shot 50 percent from the floor, going 26 of 52. The Lions were 30 of 65 for 46 percent. Barry hit 50 percent of its triple tries, going 10 of 20. Saint Leo was 6 of 24 for 25 percent.
Barry plays at Palm Beach Atlantic Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. The Bucs return home Saturday to host Eckerd at 2 p.m.