Santa Fe College Women’s Basketball Falls Short Against Indian River

Santa Fe College women’s basketball team closed out its regular-season schedule Monday with a loss against Indian River State College, 65-56, at home.

The Saints now have a week to prepare for the Region VIII State Tournament in Niceville next week after earning the fifth spot in the Citrus Conference. Santa Fe and Daytona State College are tied for fifth place in the conference at 9-12 after Monday’s action, but SFC advances by having the tie-breaker over Daytona.

Catching Up

Santa Fe (14-15 overall) started out slow, at one point down by 12 points. However, with just over a minute left in the second quarter, the Saints scored 10 consecutive points to tie the game at 28-28. Going into halftime, the game was once again tied at 31-31.

Point After Point

The third quarter featured scoring runs for both teams. The Saints started strong with 11 consecutive points.

However, the Pioneers (19-11, 13-8) responded by scoring 14 consecutive points. By the end of the third quarter, the Pioneers led 48-44.

Getting Ahead

Despite the Saints’ fight, the Pioneers pulled away at the end. With just under three minutes remaining, Santa Fe was down by 10 points.

The Saints were able to gain a couple of points with successful free-throw attempts, but it was not enough to catch up to Indian River. A two-point play by the Pioneers’ Mo’Nique Joseph solidified the win.

Leyah Houston was Santa Fe’s top scorer with 19 points.

Next Up

The Saints can look past their regular-season record and work toward a solid performance at the regional playoffs, coach Russ Jackson said.