The Austin College women's basketball game fell 65-54 in the team's home finale on Saturday evening, bringing the team's record to 9-11 overall and 3-7 in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play.
Centenary jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead but the 'Roos battled back with an 11-2 run highlighted by two Erin Riley three pointers to make it 11-8 with 12:47 left in the opening half. After the Ladies jumped back on top, Riley drilled another three to make it 14-12, but Centenary responded with seven straight points to make it a 19-14 game at the 7:06 mark.
A Rhonda Martin three and a bucket from Brianna Edwards pushed the Centenary lead to 29-19, but four quick points from Brittany Stepanski helped the 'Roos send the game into the half with the score 34-26.
The Centenary lead grew to 13 early in the second half before six straight points from Stepanski cut it to a 41-32 game with 15:07 left, but Rebecca Thompsons answered with six points in a row of her own to push it to a 47-32 with 12:10 left in the game. Threes from Christina Kime and Shayna Clardy helped trim it to an eight point margin, and three more points from Clardy made it a 54-49 game with 3:50 to play but that's as close as the 'Roos would get as Centenary scored the next nine to make it 63-49 with 2:19 left and would not look back.
Stepanski scored 17 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and added two blocks to register her third consecutive double-double in the loss. Riley hit 4-of-8 threes and finished with 15 points and seven rebounds, and Kime finished with nine points and five assists.
Vashni Sharp-Moore scored 18 points and handed out eight assists to lead the Ladies, Dionecia Warr scored 17 points and Edwards added 10 for Centenary.
The 'Roos head out on the road for their final five games of the regular season before returning to Sherman for the SCAC Tournament February 22-24.
Austin College athletic teams participate as a member of the NCAA Division III and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.
About Austin College
Austin College is a leading national independent liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas. Founded in 1849, making it the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original charter and name, the college is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA). Recognized nationally for academic excellence in the areas of international education, pre-professional training, and leadership studies, Austin College is one of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope's influential book Colleges that Change Lives.
