SAINT LEO, Fla. – University of Montevallo junior Jacquelyn Thompson scored a game-high 25 points in the Falcons' 66-59 setback Nov. 14 against nationally-ranked Rollins College in the opening game of the Saint Leo Classic.
Thompson finished 9-of-18 from the floor and 6-of-13 from beyond the arc against the Tars, who entered the contest ranked No. 23 nationally in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) NCAA Division II preseason poll. Thompson also grabbed eight rebounds and dished out four assists for the Falcons, who kept it a one-possession game until the final three minutes.
Senior Carrington Caise added 15 points on 6-of-14 shooting from the field while handing out a team-best seven assists. Junior Jasmine Thomas added eight points off the bench, while junior Katherine Goldsby contributed seven points and a team-high nine rebounds.
The Falcons outrebounded the Tars 48-40, but finished with 27 turnovers in the defeat. Montevallo shot 39.7 percent from the floor in its season opener.
Montevallo opened the game with a 6-0 run, capped with a jumper by Goldsby with 17:21 remaining in the first half. Emalee Schill knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to give Rollins a 11-8 lead, its first in the game, with 10:52 left in the opening half.
A 3-pointer by Thompson with 1:50 remaining in the half gave the Falcons a 30-28 lead before the Tars carried a 31-30 lead into the break at halftime.
Rollins took a 34-30 lead following a 3-pointer by Cassidy Bailey with 17:19 left in the game, but the Falcons came back with a 12-3 run to retake the lead. A jumper by Thomas gave Montevallo a 42-37 advantage with 13:05 remaining.
The Tars turned the five-point deficit into a six-point lead over the next seven minutes, with a layup by Tanaya Jones giving Rollins a 54-48 advantage with 6:09 left in the game. The Falcons trimmed the margin to 54-51 following a 3-pointer by Thompson with 4:24 remaining, but a 6-0 run by the Tars provided enough cushion down the stretch to hold on for the 66-59 victory.
The Falcons will return to action Saturday, Nov. 15 as they take on the host Lions in the final game of the Saint Leo Classic.
Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. Eastern/1 p.m. Central.
