In the first of a two-game tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the Saluki women fell to the University of Albany Great Danes by a score of 68-57.

The Great Danes (9-2) claimed a lead from the opening tip and held it until late in the first quarter. SIU tied the game at 17-17 with a layup from freshman forward Abby Brockmeyer.

Albany turned up the defensive pressure and forced eight SIU turnovers in the first quarter which continued through the contest and never allowed Southern a chance to claim the lead.

The defending America East Conference champions continued to build its lead in the second quarter. By the time the third quarter rolled around, the Great Danes held a double-digit lead.

Despite the deficit, SIU rallied for a 9-2 scoring run sparked by a 3-pointer from senior guard Kylie Giebelhausen, who finished with nine points and six rebounds. The offensive burst cut the Albany lead to only seven.

Following the SIU run, Albany hit a third-quarter buzzer-beating layup that gave the Great Danes a 10-point advantage before the final quarter of play.

Southern began the fourth quarter with a 5-0 scoring burst, capped off by two free throws from sophomore forward Nicole Martin, who finished 10-13 from the charity stripe. Martin led all Salukis in scoring with 20 points in 22 minutes of action and also added four rebounds, one block and one steal.

The run failed to muster enough momentum for Southern to capture the lead, as Albany shot well enough from the free-throw line and secured its victory.

The SIU women (5-5) will play the second game of the Puerto Rico Classic on Wednesday afternoon against the Miami Hurricanes. Tip-off against is scheduled for 12 p.m.

Sports writer Ryan Demer can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @RyanDemer_DE 

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