ST. PAUL, Minn.- The Macalester College women's basketball team fell to Saint Mary's University today, 69-57. The matchup was the final home game of the season for the Scots who are now 8-15, 4-12 in the MIAC.
 
The Scots played even with the Cardinals for the majority of the game until falling just 12 points short in the final minutes. The game began with both teams trading baskets, the first quarter ending in Saint Mary's favor 17-13. Senior center Regan Fruh (Helena, Mont./ Helena) led the Scots offensively in the six points, starting Macalester of with a lay-up in the first minute of the game. Fruh went on to score 10 points, with four rebounds and two blocks.
 
Macalester outscored Saint Mary's 13-10 in the second quarter and shot 60 percent from beyond the arc with first year guard Justine Barraza (Burbank Calif./Harvard-Westlake) coming off the bench to shoot two three pointers. Senior guard Vivi Gregorich (Boulder, Colo./Boulder) added a three in the third minute of the second quarter to help lead the Scots to go into half down just 27-26. Gregorich was Macalester's leading scorer on the day with 14 points and six rebounds.
 
Coming off of the break the Scots were dead even with the Cardinals, both scoring 17-17 in the third quarter.  Senior guard Leah Gray (San Rafael, Calif./Branson School) ended the quarter for the Scots with a jumper leading Macalester into the fourth quarter just down one point, 44-34. Gray scored five points on the night and had two blocks. Gray is now just three blocks away from tying Macalester women's all-time leading block record of 135.
 
While the Scots shot 86 percent at the free-throw line in the fourth quarter they were unable to keep the Cardinals at bay. Macalester could not capitalize behind the arc, scoring none of their four attempts. Saint Mary's however shot 59 percent and pulled away from Macalester in the third minute, upping the lead to nine points.
The Scots were able stay close however foul trouble for senior guard Grace Dickman (Maspeth, N.Y./Cate School (Calif.) and Fruh put the Cardinals at the line too many times as they shot 71 percent. The Scots fell behind 12 points in the final seconds, 69-57, as the game ended.
 
The Scots continued to see positive play from their young bench players such as sophomore guard Holly Hull (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest) who scored nine points on the game, sophomore guard Tyana Loiselle (Bloomer, Wis./Chippewa Falls) who scored seven points, and Barraza totaled six.
 
The Cardinals were led by Brandi Blattner with 25 points.
 
The Scots return to action away against Bethel University on Wed., Feb. 14 in Arden Hills, Minn. at 7:00 p.m.