CLEVELAND, Tenn. --- Hannah Vecsey piled up 12 points on six goals and six assists as Lee University defeated Tusculum University 20-5 in non-conference women's lacrosse Saturday afternoon.
Maggie Luzier added four goals and Emma Bailey scored three times for the Flames (2-1), who outshot the Pioneers 37-18 and broke open a one-goal game at halftime with nine unanswered goals in the third quarter and a 13-0 run spanning 25 minutes.
Abby Lockwood paced the Pioneers (1-1) with three goals, with one goal apiece from Lucy Brewer and Emma Miller.
Vecsey scored a goal in each of the first two periods, then scored three times in the third and once more in the fourth for the Flames.
Lee opened the scoring just over a minute into the first quarter on a goal from Vecsey, but Brewer tied the game less than a minute later at 1-1. The Flames would get a goal from Kylee Kangas and two from Luzier to go up 4-1, but Miller scored with 3:51 left as Lee led 4-2 after one quarter.
In the second quarter, Vecsey gave the Flames a 5-2 lead with 6:48 left, but Lockwood scored twice in the final two minutes to cut the margin to 5-4 at halftime.
The second half was all Lee, was three goals in 3 1/2 minutes stretched the lead to 8-4. The Flames would add four goals in a span of 87 seconds, then score twice in the final two minutes of the quarter to go up 14-4 heading to the fourth.
Lee scored four times in the first half of the fourth quarter before Lockwood broke the run with 3:51 left. Lee tacked on two goals in the final 75 seconds, including the last goal of the day with just one second remaining.
Brewer led the Pioneers with five draw controls, while Liberty Jones had three draw controls and two ground balls. For Lee, Brittney White had five draw controls, and Kelsey McGowen contributed three ground balls and four caused turnovers.
Lee was 19-for-20 on clears in the match while Tusculum finished 9-for-11. Lee had a 25-10 advantage in ground balls, while both teams had 13 draw controls.
Emily White played all 60 minutes for the Pioneers and had 11 saves. For Lee, Kaleigh Bernard made seven saves across the first three quarters and Caleigh Smith added one save in the fourth quarter.
Tusculum will return to action on Saturday, Feb. 17 at Lander, beginning at 2 p.m.
