Florida trip starts with five-point loss at Keiser
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
St. Ambrose (IA) (5-6) | 14 | 26 | 16 | 14 | 70 |
|
Keiser (8-2) | 22 | 14 | 18 | 21 | 75 |
St. Ambrose was outscored 21-14 in the fourth quarter in falling to host Keiser 75-70 on the first day of the West Palm Beach Invitational Tuesday afternoon.
The Bees were outscored 11-0 from the line over the final 10 minutes as both Abby Wolter and Caitlyn Thole fouled out down the stretch.
Behind a big second quarter, St. Ambrose (5-6) held a 40-36 lead at the half. And SAU maintained a 56-54 advantage heading into the fourth.
But Keiser (8-2) scored the first seven points of the final period and would never trail again.
After falling behind 70-62 with just over four minutes remaining, SAU rallied. A Thole jumper and an Erin Jolin 3-pointer got the team to within 70-67. St. Ambrose had a chance to get closer but came up empty on its next two offensive possessions.
Forced to foul, Wolter picked up her fifth personal, which helped Keiser open up a 73-67 lead. Jayla Stirgus buried a three with 13 seconds left to again get the Bees to within three points, but the Seahawks added two late free throws to seal the win.
SAU outshot Keiser from the floor, shooting nearly 47 percent overall and almost 42 percent from 3-point range. Keiser was just over 43 percent overall and 28 percent from beyond the arc.
The difference came from the line where the Seahawks outscored the Bees 22-6.
Wolter led St. Ambrose with 24 points and seven rebounds. Thole finished with 13 points and seven boards.
Stirgus dropped in 10 points to go along with six assists.
Jolin scored seven points and Olivia Harter netted six. Hayley Flores, Isabella Hutchinson and Mary Gruber each scored three. Payton Calouette scored the other SAU points.
SAU will close the two-day classic Wednesday against Thomas.