CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio – The IU Southeast women's basketball team's comeback fell just short as the Grenadiers fell to Ohio Christian 79-75 on Tuesday.
 
IU Southeast opened the contest by shooting 50 percent from the field in the first half and were 10-of-15 (67 percent) from the field in the first quarter alone.
 
The Grenadiers trailed 10-9 after a pair of Ohio Christian free throws but the Grenadiers closed the first quarter on a 16-5 run.
 
Jesse Ledgerwood had six of her nine first-half points during that run.
 
IU Southeast led 25-15 after the first quarter.
 
The Trailblazers began to chip away at the deficit in the second quarter but could not retake the lead. Karly Sweeney completed a three-point play late in the quarter to give IU Southeast a 36-29 halftime lead.
 
In the third quarter, the Trailblazers began to get their offense going and connected on 4-of-6 three-pointers. They missed just three field goals in the third period and outscored the Grenadiers 25-11 to take a 54-47 lead to the fourth quarter.
 
Ohio Christian took the lead on a 15-0 run in the third quarter.
 
Leah Miller answered back for IU Southeast in the fourth quarter, scoring the first eight points of the period for the Grenadiers to cut the lead to two.
 
A three-point field goal by Ashley DeWeese followed by a jumper by leading scorer Haley Cox extended the Ohio Christian lead back to 63-55 with just under seven minutes to play.
 
Emma Koons connected on a three-pointer and give the Trailblazers a 69-61 lead with four minutes to go, but six-straight points by Makenna Wilson, Leah Miller and Linzie Wernert cut the lead back to two.
 
After two free-throws and an empty Grenadier possession, Cox scored to make it a two-possession game.
 
Jesse Ledgerwood hit a three-pointer with 27 seconds left to cut the lead to 75-72.
 
The Trailblazers secured the win by hitting their final four free-throws of the contest.
 
Leah Miller led IU Southeast with 17 points. Jesse Ledgerwood had 15, Linzie Wernert had 14 points and seven rebounds and Karly Sweeney had 14 points and five rebounds.
 
The Grenadiers shot 50 percent from the field in the contest but the timely three-pointers that Ohio Christian hit in the third quarter proved to be the difference.
 
The Trailblazers finished the contest shooting 51 percent from the field and were 14-of-30 from three-point range including 8-of-13 in the second half.
 
IU Southeast hosts Rio Grande Saturday at 1 p.m.