DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (WLCSports.com) - Wisconsin Lutheran College couldn't overcome a season-low 30 percent shooting in a 53-46 setback to Bates on Wednesday in its first game of the Daytona Beach Shootout at the Ocean Center.
The Warriors (5-4) fell behind 13-2 to the Bobcats (9-1) with under two-and-a-half minutes left in the opening quarter. Five straight combined points from junior
Lexy Smit (Brandon, Wis.) and freshman
Courtney Park (Rockford, Ill.) cut WLC's deficit to six, but BC went into the second quarter holding a 15-7 lead.
Layups from sophomore
Jayden Hill (Kenosha, Wis.) and junior
Mack Hogenson (Neenah, Wis.) to start the second quarter cut Wisconsin Lutheran's deficit to just four points. Bates took an eight-point lead with just over two minutes left before halftime, and the Warriors trailed 24-18 at the break behind Smit's layup with under a minute left.
WLC came within seven points two-and-a-half minutes into the third quarter, but couldn't come any closer as its deficit remained above double figures for the final six minutes of the period. The Bobcats held a 40-27 lead entering the fourth quarter.
Wisconsin Lutheran trailed by a game-high 14 points with under seven minutes to play in the game, before a 9-0 scoring run cut its deficit to just five points at 45-40 with 3:22 remaining. The Warriors couldn't cut anymore into their deficit and BC made six of its final eight free throw attempts within the final minute to seal the win.
Smit led all WLC players with nine points and senior
Sam Leisemann (Fall River, Wis.) grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. Wisconsin Lutheran, which scored 30 of its 46 points in the paint, was held to 30 percent (18-for-60) shooting for the game.
Davina Kabantu scored a game-high 14 points to lead Bates, which shot 36.5 percent (19-for-52) from the floor for the game.
The Warriors wrap up their week at the Daytona Beach Shootout tomorrow against Alvernia (6-2) at 4 p.m. CT. Live coverage links will be available at WLCSports.com.
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