BATESVILLE, Arkansas - The Lyon College Scots nearly made a late rally work, but Principia was able to hold off a late charge to win 79-72 at Hay Field House in Elsah, Illinois on Saturday afternoon in SLIAC women's basketball action.

The Scots (3-3, 1-1) trailed by three points at the end of the first quarter and trailed 41-32 at halftime. Principia led 65-47 by the start of the fourth quarter and the Scots rallied to within four points. 

Samantha Taylor led the Scots with 23 points, while Savanna Lopez had 13 points and Zharia Childress scored 10 and eight rebounds. Allison Byars had nine points and six rebounds and Stella Parker scored eight points. Natalya Kaza had five points, while Brooklyn Rowe and Alexis Soloman each had a basket.

In the first half Principia led before Taylor scored for Lyon College. Taylor also made a three-pointer a few seconds later to get the Scots as close as one point 8-7. Lyon stayed within a point until Byars tied the game at 13-13 on a free throw. After a six-point run from the Panthers, Lopez put in a layup with 16 seconds left in the first quarter to cut Principia's lead to three points, 23-20.

The Scots fell by behind by 13 points by the midway point of the second quarter, 35-22. Parker made a three-pointer for Lyon College and Lopez scored to cut the lead back to single-digits, 35-27. Lopez made two free throws with 26 seconds to go before halftime to make it a seven-point difference, 39-32, but the Panthers put in a fast-break basket just before the buzzer to lead by nine, 41-32.

Both teams swapped baskets in the first part of the third period, but Principia managed to lead by 12 points, 48-36. Following two free throws from Taylor to trim it to a 10-point game, 48-38, the Panthers scored eight straight points to lead by 18, 56-38. Lyon College trailed by 20 points with 58 seconds to go in the quarter, 65-45. Two free throws from Kaza with four seconds left started a long climb back for the Scots.

Taylor scored the first five points of the fourth quarter for Lyon. Childress and Soloman scored to get the lead back to nine points with 6:26 to play. Lopez hit a jumper with 3:32 left to get the Scots to within five points, 69-64. With 42 seconds to go, the Scots were down by only three points, 75-52 on two Childress free throws, but Principia made their foul shots to take the win. 

The Scots will be in action on Tuesday night at Becknell Gymnasium at 5:30 p.m.