NEW ALBANY, Ind. – The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College women's basketball team staged a thrilling comeback on the road at IU-Southeast, rallying from a 21-point deficit late in the third quarter. However, despite their best efforts, the Pomeroys fell short, losing 75-69 in a tense battle at the Physical Activities Center. SMWC fell to 13-12 overall and 5-8 in River States Conference play. 

SMWC found themselves down 21 points with just over four minutes remaining in the third quarter. But the Pomeroys refused to back down, igniting a strong offensive surge in the final two periods. They erased the majority of the deficit, thanks to a 24-point third quarter and a solid 22-point fourth quarter. Despite the push, they were never able to fully overcome the margin, ultimately falling to the Grenadiers.

Brooklynn Jones led the charge for SMWC with a stellar performance, scoring 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting. Madison Fueger added 11 points and seven rebounds, while Irye Gomez contributed 12 points and six rebounds. Destiny Thomas also made a strong impact off the bench, finishing with 12 points and eight rebounds.

Indiana Southeast was led by Jesse Ledgerwood, who tallied 19 points and 6 assists, while Lexi Starr added 15 points and 4 rebounds. The Grenadiers controlled much of the game early, leading 24-10 at the end of the first quarter and 36-23 at halftime, before holding off SMWC's valiant comeback attempt.

After trailing 56-35 with 4:04 remaining in the third, SMWC mounted a spirited comeback, closing the gap to 58-47 by the end of the quarter. The Pomeroys were fueled by a strong performance from Brooklynn Jones, who scored 8 points in the period, and key contributions from teammates such as Madison Fueger and Destiny Thomas.

Brooklynn Jones sparked the SMWC offense early in the final period, hitting a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 58-50 with 9:53 remaining. Gomez quickly followed with a 3-pointer of her own, narrowing the gap further to 58-53 at 9:24. A fastbreak layup from Gomez brought St. Mary-Woods within three points, 58-55, at the 9:03 mark, but Indiana Southeast responded with a three-pointer from Lexi Starr to extend the lead back to four.

St. Mary-Woods refused to back down. Madison Fueger's layup made it a two-point game at 61-59 with 6:18 left. The Pomeroys tied the game at 63-63 with a jumper from Jones at 4:44, after Gomez and Destiny Thomas had each contributed with crucial fast-break layups.

However, Indiana Southeast's free throws proved to be the difference. Led by Jesse Ledgerwood and Taylor Treat, Indiana Southeast stretched its lead to 70-63 with a series of successful free throws in the final minutes.

SMWC didn't quit, as Abby Worley and Madison White combined for four free throws to bring the score to 70-66 with 2:11 remaining. Gomez added another layup off a steal to bring the Pomeroys to within one, 70-69, with 1:45 on the clock. But back-to-back free throws from Ella Brown and a layup in the final seconds sealed the win for Indiana Southeast.

The Pomeroys will look to bounce back when they travel to IU-Columbus for a 3:00 p.m. (ET) matchup on Saturday, February 15.