NASHVILLE – The Lipscomb University Women's Basketball team shot 52% from the field and used an 18-10 fourth quarter to defeat the University of North Florida, 73-65, Saturday afternoon inside Allen Arena. 

Final Score: Lipscomb 73, North Florida 65
Location: Nashville, Tennessee (Allen Arena)
Records: Lipscomb (8-13, 5-5), North Florida (8-13, 3-7)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Bisons got out to a fast start, knocking down their first five shots to sprint out to a 14-0 lead three minutes into the game. Including connecting on all four shots from beyond the arc, Taylor Bowen and McKayla Miller each knocked down two. 

UNF responded with a 17-7 run the rest of the way, but the 8-of-13 performance from Lipscomb in the first kept them ahead 21-17 through the first period. 

In the second, it was all about keeping up on offense. The Ospeys did respond from a 14-point deficit with a Alexa Washington 3-pointer to give the visitors their first lead of the day, 30-29, at the 4:42 mark.

The Bisons kept pace with the Ospreys, shooting 64% (16-of-25) from the field in the first 20 minutes of play, including 8-of-12 in the second period. Miller used two 3-point plays to get the home squad back even at 40 going into the locker room. 

UNF started the third quarter with an 8-0 run in the first two-plus minutes of the period. However, Lipscomb responded with a Bowen jump shot that sparked a 7-0 run. While the Ospreys went cold, Hope Counts cut the deficit to one, 48-47 with over six and a half minutes remaining in the period. 

Late in the third, despite a layup by Molly Heard, the contest went into the final period all even at 55. 

After an early jumper late in the shot clock by Dezuray McGill to start the fourth quarter for the Ospreys, the Bisons started to run away from their opponent. Heard and Maris Zurliene scored the next seven points to lead 62-57 with 7:38 left that forced UNF to burn a timeout. 

UNF, who once trailed by six in the period, came back to even the game at 65 with an Alonya Waldon layup with 4:35 remaining, but that would be the last bucket the Ospreys would score. Lipscomb finished with an 8-0 run that started with a Heard turnaround jump shot.

Later, with 1:35 left, Heard secured the dub for the Bisons with a triple, as she scored 10 points in the final period on 4-of-5 from the field. 

HERD NOTES
With her fourth block of the game, Hope Counts became the all-time freshman leader for blocks in a season in the program's Division I era, surpassing Jess Reese's 44 in the 2010-11 season. Counts finished the day with six blocks and now has 47 on the season. 

Lipscomb's 10 blocks marked the second-highest this season and missed the all-time record of 11 previously set earlier this season. However, the 10 swats did match a high for a conference game, joining the East Tennessee State contest from Jan. 22, 2011. 

KEY STATISTICS
Molly Heard led the day for the Bisons. The senior dropped 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting with nine rebounds and three assists. 

McKayla Miller had 18 points, five rebounds and three blocks, while Maris Zurliene, in her first collegiate start, scored 12 on 4-of-7 shooting. 

Taylor Bowen added 14 points on 6-of-10 from the field. 

Hope Counts, while only scoring five points, grabbed 10 rebounds, added six blocks and assists each and committed two thefts. 

UP NEXT
The final game of the three-game home stand concludes on Wednesday with the Bisons taking on the ASUN leader in Eastern Kentucky for National Girls and Women in Sports Day. 

Tip is set for 6 p.m. inside Allen Arena.