SAINT LEO, FL – The D'Youville University women's basketball team played their first of two games in the Saint Leo Holiday Classic on Friday, falling to Columbus State University 67-63.
 
Junior Anna Jankovic (Averill Park, N.Y.) led the charge for the Saints, scoring a season-high 23 points, grabbing six rebounds, and recording three steals. Freshman Mercy Lasu (Winnipeg, Canada) dropped 11 points on 4-5 shooting. Junior Stella Mollica (Shillington, Pa.) contributed ten points along with a team-high four assists and two steals.
 
The Saints drew first blood on a three-pointer from Jankovic. After the Cougars went ahead 6-5, Jankovic converted again from behind the arc to give DYU the lead back. A layup and a free throw from Lasu tied things up at 15-15 going into the second quarter.
 
Two free throws from Jankovic put the Saints ahead 17-15 in the first minute of the second quarter. After Columbus State scored four straight to go ahead 19-17, Jankovic and Lasu scored four straight to put DYU back in front with 6:28 left in the quarter. A three-point play from Lasu followed by an eight-footer from senior Brianne Moxley (Penfield, N.Y.) made it 28-25 Saints with 2:46 to go in the half. The Saints took a 30-28 lead into halftime.
 
A three-point play from Moxley and a layup from junior Sofie Fuglsang (Obernaven, Luxembourg) put the Saints up 39-38 four minutes into the third quarter. An 8-1 run from the Cougars put them in front 46-40 with 3:11 remaining in the quarter. Six straight points from Mollica helped draw the Saints within two heading into the fourth quarter.
 
An 13-1 run from the Cougars gave them a 12-point advantage with 7:21 to play in the final frame. The Saints would reel off a 12-0 run aided by four points from junior Jaelyn Vleer-Elliott (Waterville, N.Y.), four points from Mollica, and a layup from Jankovic to make it a 61-59 Columbus State lead with 2:22 remaining. A close-range jumper from Vleer-Elliott kept the Saints within two with just four seconds to play. The Cougars, however, would convert two free throws to seal the victory.
 
D'Youville will be back in action on Saturday, when they face Saint Leo University at 2:30 p.m.