For the Purple Knights, senior Logan Pintka (Schenectady, N.Y./Colonie Central) set a career-high with 29 points and added seven rebounds. Pintka finished 17-of-22 from the foul line - just one shy of matching the program record in both categories, set by Tara Clark '99 against West Liberty State College on November 29, 1997. However, Pintka missed the second of three free throw attempts with 0.4 seconds left in regulation, after she was fouled on a desperation 3-point attempt with the Purple Knights down by three points. Pintka made the third and final attempt, but Saint Michael's was unable to foul West Florida before time expired.
Also for Saint Michael's, classmate Meghan McCormack (Barrie, Ont./Saint Peter's Secondary School) chipped in with eight points and a game-best nine rebounds, but shot just 2-of-13 from the field.
For West Florida (6-4), Sher'Ryan Scott recorded 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field, while Octavia Bearden added 17 points and six rebounds. Jade Howard recorded 10 points and seven assists in the win.
Saint Michael's seized control early, as the Purple Knights scored the game's first 13 points and held West Florida scoreless for the first seven minutes of the contest. The Purple Knights pushed their advantage to 36-15 at halftime, as West Florida shot just 24 percent from the field in the first half, while Saint Michael's made 13-of-14 free throws in the opening 20 minutes.
West Florida needed most of the second half to complete its comeback, and finally pulled even for the first time at 51-all following a Scott 3-pointer with 2:57 to go. A Howard 3-point play 32 seconds later gave West Florida its first lead of the game at 54-53, but two McCormack free throws with 51 seconds left pulled the Purple Knights even at 56-all.
Both teams traded lay-ups on their next possession, setting the stage for Scott, who buried a 3-pointer from the left baseline with six seconds remaining to snap a 58-all tie. The Purple Knights then called timeout at midcourt, and the ensuing inbounds pass was deflected to Pintka beyond halfcourt. She was fouled while attempting a 45-foot heave just before the buzzer, but couldn't sink all three free throws to even the score and force overtime.
The loss comes 12 days after the Purple Knights' last contest, a 59-56 overtime setback to Saint Anselm College on December 7.
Saint Michael's completes play at the tournament on Sunday with a 2 p.m. Consolation Game versus Palm Beach Atlantic University.
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