HOBOKEN, N.J. – In the first game of the Stevens Holiday Classic, the TCNJ women's basketball team fell to Stevens by a final score of 71-67.

The Lions opened up the game with a 15-8 stretch in the first quarter. Shannon Devitt sank a three-pointer to put TCNJ ahead 11-5. Morgan Heller converted a lay-up, then Rachel Gazzola scored to put the Lions ahead by seven.

Stevens took a 35-30 lead heading into halftime. A Jen Byrne three-pointer with six minutes to go in the third quarter put the Lions ahead 41-40. Devitt scored from in close to make it 43-40, but then the Ducks grabbed a 51-45 lead at the end of the third quarter.

The Ducks grabbed a 64-53 lead in the fourth quarter, but the Lions almost erased the deficit. With under three minutes to play, Gazzola scored on a fast break lay-up to make it a 66-59 game. On the next possession, Gazzola sank a three-pointer to pull TCNJ within 66-62.

A lay-up from Sydney Blum made it a 66-65 game with 1:25 to go, but the Ducks than countered with a bucket to take a three-point lead. Gazzola scored a bucket to make it a one point game with 19 seconds to go, but the Ducks made their free throws and got a stop to seal the narrow victory.

Gazzola led TCNJ with a new career-high 26 points. She also added seven rebounds and seven assists. Devitt tallied 17 points, seven rebounds, and seven blocked shots. Byrne scored 13 points and grabbed five rebounds.

The Lions will resume action at the Stevens Holiday Classic tomorrow, when they will face the No. 1 team in the nation in Tufts University.