CECILIA ENGBERT
STAFF WRITER
The Lady Barons basketball team lost to the Pittsburgh Greensburg Bobcats on Wednesday at 8 p.m. after holding up in a tight man-to-man defense game that ended 69-51, Bobcats.
The Lady Barons never gained the upper hand in a game which started off with points in the Bobcats’ favor. The Bobcats set the bar high with numerous 3-pointers during the first quarter, but the Lady Barons played at the Bobcats’ level, landing 3–pointers as well.
After some rough passes by the Bobcats, the Lady Barons reclaimed the ball and freshman forward Estelle Leon made the first score for Franciscan.
The Lady Barons kept up with Pitt, making the score 11-10 at 2.04 minutes, but Pitt pulled away in the last minutes of the quarter, which ended with the Lady Barons lagging 20-10.
In the second quarter, Pitt played on the Barons aggressively, making it hard to get near the basket, but the Lady Barons fought through.
Senior guard Kaitlyn Sonneberger had a strong night, making an 8-0 run in the second quarter, and the Lady Barons finished the first half strong, stealing the ball and scoring with less than one minute remaining. However, Pitt made a half–court shot as the quarter ended, closing the first half at 31-22, Pitt.
In the third quarter, Leon made two baskets for the Lady Barons after some swift ball movement and successful passes, bringing the board to 49-33, Pitt.
Despite their hard efforts, the Lady Barons continued to lag as the quarter came to an end, and they entered the fourth quarter at a 20-point disadvantage.
The last quarter was a struggle for the Lady Barons, but they picked up energy with an aggressive offense by sophomore forward Angela Starre, while senior guard Kelsey Scott-Avery battled hard to keep the ball away from Pitt in the fourth quarter.
Leon got three rebounds in a row and the Barons scored after a timeout bringing the board to 65-49, Pitt.
The Barons made two free shots in the final moments of the game, but Pitt swept the board with a score of 69-51.
Head coach Sean Kirk was proud of how the team handled the pressure, especially in the fourth quarter.
“We freaking battled in that fourth quarter,” he said. “They did not give up; they kept up the fight. I’m proud of the way that we played in the fourth quarter.”
The Lady Barons’ next home game is Saturday, Jan. 25, at 4 p.m.