ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Lawrence University women's basketball team rallied late Tuesday but came up short in a 65-56 nonconference loss to Pacific (Ore.) University at the St. Pete Classic.
  The Boxers broke open a close game late in the third quarter but then had to hold off the Vikings in the final few minutes at the McArthur Center.
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Maggie Culver paced Lawrence (6-7) with 15 points, and
Emma Carlson hit 5-of-8 shots from the floor on her way to 11 points. Carlson also grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.
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Mallory Meyer added nine points, three rebounds and two assists for the Vikings.
Josie Eager picked up six points for Lawrence on 3-of-4 shooting from the floor.
  The game was tight as neither team led by more than five points in the first half, and Pacific was nursing a 42-39 edge after Meyer's jumper with 4:58 left in the third quarter. The Boxers then hit back-to-back 3-pointers, and Lawrence was held scoreless for the rest of the third period.
  Pacific led 48-39 heading to the fourth quarter and scored the first five points of the period to push the advantage to 53-39. Carlson's layup with 7:51 left finally broke the scoreless streak for the Vikings, and Lawrence climbed back into the game.
  Lawrence trailed 56-44 when Meyer converted a three-point play to cut the margin to 56-47. Culver followed with a jumper and later made one free throw to slice the lead to 56-50 with 4:59 left. Another Meyer layup trimmed the lead to 56-52, and the Vikings got the ball right back on a turnover.Â
  Lawrence missed a jumper, and Brilie Kovaloff hit a 3-pointer for the Boxers. Eager's layup cut the lead back to 59-54, but Rilee Price hit another 3-pointer for the Boxers to grab a 62-54 lead with 2:17 left. Eager answered with another layup, but 62-56 was as close as the Vikings would get.
  Lawrence missed its final four shots from the floor as the Boxers hung on for the victory.
    Kovaloff led Pacific (8-2) with 18 points.
  Lawrence returns to action on Jan. 2 when the Vikings travel to Monmouth College.
