PAINESVILLE, O.H. – The D'Youville University women's basketball team survived a late comeback bid to hold on for a 61-60 road win over Lake Erie College on Thursday.
 
Senior Anna Jankovic (Averill Park, N.Y.) led the way for the Saints, recording her third consecutive double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds, and added two steals on the defensive end. Junior Morgan Giancaterino (Orchard Park, N.Y.) also turned in a solid performance for DYU, scoring 13 points and grabbing five rebounds. Freshman Aliviya Vallone Russell (Buffalo, N.Y.) made things happen offensively and defensively, dishing out a team-high five assists and recording four steals, also a team-high.
 
The Saints jumped out to an early 8-2 lead fueled by a three-pointer and a mid-range jumper by senior Sofie Fuglsang (Oberanven, Luxembourg). After the Storm brought it back to 8-7, DYU closed out the quarter on a 10-3 run thanks to four points in the paint from redshirt sophomore Megan Fedor (Elmira, N.Y.) and layups from Jankovic, freshman Samantha Ruhlman (Warren, Pa.), and freshman Kaitlyn Mankins (Greensburg, Pa.) to take an 18-10 lead.
 
The Saints stayed hot to start the second quarter, as a layup followed by a three-point play by Jankovic extended their lead to 13. A mid-range jumper by Fuglsang kept the lead at 13 with 3:33 remaining until halftime. Layups by Fedor and Giancaterino in the final minute of the quarter sent DYU to the locker room with a 35-24 advantage.
 
Lake Erie began the third quarter on a 9-3 run to trim the Saints' lead to five. Jankovic poured in a mid-range jumper and a layup to try to keep the Storm at bay as the score stood at 42-35 halfway through the quarter. DYU's lead dwindled down to three, but five straight points from freshman Allie Hall (Rochester, N.Y.) and a fastbreak layup from Vallone Russell brought the lead back to ten. Fuglsang buried a three-pointer at the buzzer to make it 52-42 as the game moved to the fourth quarter.
 
A pair of layups from Giancaterino gave the Saints a commanding 58-42 lead with 7:24 left to play. But an ensuing 14-1 run by the Storm narrowed the lead down to three with just 1:54 to go in regulation. Jankovic knocked down a layup to bring the lead back to five with 1:26 remaining. Lake Erie scored four straight points, but missed a free throw with three seconds left and DYU held on for the 61-60 victory.
 
D'Youville improves to 2-2 on the year and returns home to face Saint Anselm College on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.