DAVIE, Fla. – A tough shooting performance in the first half contributed to Barry’s 63-51 loss to Drury Monday at the Cruzin’ Classic at Nova Southeastern.
The Buccaneers (6-2) went 1 of 15 from three-point range for 6.7 percent, but turned a 23-point deficit into a respectable defeat in the second half after they applied stifling defensive pressure.
Now the Bucs will have 13 days off for the holidays before hosting UMass-Lowell on Dec. 30 in Miami Shores.
Barry’s Jackie Perez canned a triple from the corner, and then converted a three-point play to pull the Bucs within 35-23 inside the first five minutes of the second half, but Drury (5-3) turned the 12-point lead into a six-point swing when Katie Pritchard scored and sank three free throws following a Bucs personal foul and technical foul.
Pritchard hit a triple to give Drury a 48-25 lead with 11:42 remaining. Stephanie Ball sank two free throws, and Colette Eule converted a three-point play to pull Barry within 48-29. The Buccaneers cut it to 15 when Ball found Tyler Hardy for a basket in transition with 9:20 to go. Eule drove baseline for a bucket with just over six minutes left to cut the gap to 14. Ball came up with a steal and layup with 3:49 left to pull Barry to within 13. Amanda Frontino’s follow-up pulled the Buccaneers within 12 with 2:02 left on the clock.
But it was too much for the Bucs to recover from in the late going.
Barry fell behind 20-12 with roughly six minutes left in the first half. Bucs senior guard Dominique Dixon sank a free throw with 4:18 remaining to pull Barry within 22-15. Drury went ahead 27-15 inside the last minute to take a 12-point lead into the intermission.
The Bucs hit 5 of 25 field goals for 20 percent in the first half. Barry was 0 for 7 from three-point range in the first half. Barry was outrebounded 28-18 in the first half.
The Bucs shot 40 percent in the second half, going 12 of 30, and finished the game 17 of 55 for 30.9 percent. Barry managed just three assists. The Bucs forced 22 turnovers, coming up with 13 steals, three of which belonged to Frontino.
Perez finished with 12 points and five rebounds. Eule had nine points. Hardy finished with eight points and five boards. Pritchard had 18, and Kylie Williamson 13 for Drury.