MONTEVALLO, Ala. – Montevallo women's basketball suffered its first league loss of the season at the hands of Lee in a 80-76 contest on Sunday afternoon.
 
The Falcons and Lady Flames traded buckets in the game's first three minutes with Montevallo going 3-of-4 from the field. With the score at 9-7 with six minutes and change on the clock, Isabel Grimes took it coast-to-coast to knot the game at 9-9. A Marisa Snodgrass triple gave the Falcons a 12-11 advantage but the Lady Flames were able to knock down a pair of contested layups. In the final three minutes of the first, Montevallo rattled off a 10-0 run capped by another Snodgrass bucket from deep in the closing seconds to take a 24-13 lead into the first break.
 
Following a third Snodgrass triple, the Falcons defense forced a shot clock violation that led to Savannah Cook's first points of the game to open the largest lead of the half at 30-14. Grimes went coast-to-coast for the second time in the opening half to keep the Lady Flames at arm's length with a 33-19 advantage. With Lee going on a 6-0 run to trim the lead to just six, Reid came up big with a pair of free throws to end the run 1:45 remaining. The final four points of the half came at the stripe to give Montevallo a 41-33 lead heading into the locker room.
 
Lee came out of the half on a hot streak scoring 12 quick points to open the third and tie the game at 45-45 before a Snodgrass jumper ended the Lady Flames run. Smallwood crossed up her defender and took it to the cup for a deuce to give the Falcons a 53-45 advantage. Following back-to-back threes from Lee, the Falcons saw just a two-point lead with 4:53 to play. The Falcons were able to push the advantage back out to seven after Lia Edwards shook a defender and laid it in with the left hand to make the score 65-58. With the Falcons final six points coming in the paint, Montevallo held onto a 65-58 heading into the final stanza.
 
Threes rained in from both sides to start the fourth with Montevallo holding onto a 69-64 advantage. The Falcosn answered with a pair of Reid free throws to push the lead back to seven with 6:17 to go. Snodgrass knocked down a runner off the glass to keep Montevallo out in front with 5:38 to go. A pair of Lee threes sandwiched a steal and bucket from the Lady Flames to jump out to a 74-73 lead with 3:43 remaining. A Lee bucket with 2:03 on the clock pushed the lead out to 78-73. The Falcons grabbed an offensive board off a missed free throw and, with a Smallwood layup, cut the Flames advantage to just two with 53.2 seconds left. A pair of Lee free throws in the closing seconds handed the Falcons the first conference loss of the season, 80-76.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Montevallo 76 | Lee 80
Records: Montevallo 5-2 (3-1 GSC) | Lee 4-2 (3-0 GSC)
Location: Student Activity Center | Montevallo, Ala.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
1^ST | Montevallo erupted for 24 first quarter points, the second-most in a quarter by the Falcons this season. Reid led all scorers with eight in the opening quarter.
2^ND | Montevallo cooled off from deep in the second, shooting 33 percent from range, with Lee taking the quarter, 20-17.
3^RD | The third quarter saw the fifth tie of the game but the Falcons were able to separate for a 7-point lead heading into the fourth.
4^TH | The Falcons shooting fell off in the final quarter, with Montevallo scoring 11 points in the final stanza.
 
GAME NOTES

• Falcon Freshman Ramie Reid set a new career-high in points after a 24-point effort on a perfect 10-for-10 mark from the stripe.
• Montevallo lost the rebounding battle, 42-31, for just the second time this season.
• Montevallo saw three different Falcons score double digits with Reid (24), Isabel Grimes (17) and Marisa Snodgrass (17) eclipsing the 10-point mark.

 
UP NEXT: Montevallo travels to the Magnolia State to take on Mississippi College on Friday, Dec. 8.