Pensacola, FL — Marlee Moore led the Lady Eagles with 21 points and 15 rebounds, but her efforts were not enough in Lady Eagles 59-57 defeat at the hands of the Welch College Flames.
The visiting Welch College Flames would jump out to an early 9-0 lead in last night's ball game. The Lady Eagles would quickly answer and fought to claw their way back into the ball game. Four early points by Marlee Moore and a three pointer by Jessica Boyd helped cut the deficit to just 3 at the midway point of the 1st quarter. The Flames would go on to widen their lead to 7 points with 2 minutes remaining, but again the Lady Eagles would claw their way back into it. Haley Sailors drained a three pointer as time expired to cut the Flames lead to just 1 point at the end of the 1st quarter.
In the 2nd quarter, the Lady Eagles looked to build on the momentum they had begun to establish late in the 1st quarter. The game would remain close throughout the 2nd quarter. Marlee Moore added 4 points in the quarter while the Lady Eagles also got contributions from Hannah and Haley Sailors. However, the Flames were able to widen their lead deep in the 2nd quarter and took a 34-25 lead into the half. In the 1st half, the Lady Eagles shot 37% from the floor compared to 48% for the visiting Flames.
Asked at the half about his team's performance, Head Coach Jared Sellars said, "We played pretty well in the 1st half but just didn't have an answer for the Flames. We shot the ball well, but they shot it just a little bit better."
Coming out of the half, the Lady Eagles looked to reassert themselves. They hoped to solve the Flames, a team that they had beaten by 20 points earlier in the year. The Flames would go on to stretch their lead to as many as 9 points in the 3rd quarter. The Lady Eagles again led by Marlee Moore and her 9 points were able to cut the deficit to just 1 point. The Lady Eagles also received contributions from a trio of guards – Joy Smith, Lauren Battle, and Haley Sailors – in the 3rd quarter.
With just 8 minutes remaining in the game, the Lady Eagles were able to take their first lead of the ball game. Marlee Moore and Emma Hardy played a key role for the Lady Eagles down the stretch. The pair would combine for 8 points in the 4th quarter. Despite regaining the lead with 8 minutes left on the clock, the Lady Eagles were unable to hang onto the lead. The Flames quickly grabbed the lead back and were able to hold on despite a last-ditch effort by the Lady Eagles. The Lady Eagles would go on to fall in the ball game 59-57.
After the game, Head Coach Jared Sellars was disappointed in the performance. He said, "We just didn't play our best game tonight. On the defensive end, we just were not able to put together good stretches. Give the Flames credit, they are a scrappy team and came down here and played well."
In the contest, the Lady Eagles shot 33% from the floor but just 18% from behind the three-point arch. Led by Moore's 15 rebounds, the Lady Eagles outrebounded Welch College 42-32 in the game. After the game Moore, who added 21 points and 15 rebounds, was asked about her performance. She said, "I am thankful that my teammates put me in a good position to succeed tonight, but ultimately I'd rather have the win."
With the loss, the Lady Eagles slip back to .500 and now sit at 10-10 on the season. The Lady Eagles next game will be on Thursday, February 1 when they take on Trinity College of Florida at home at 5:30 pm.
