'Roos Fall Short Against Southwestern

SHERMAN, Texas - The Austin College women's basketball team held a 33-30 halftime lead over visiting Southwestern University, but the Pirates limited the 'Roos to 22.5% shooting after halftime in a 70-63 game on Friday night in Hughey Gym. The 'Roos are now 2-9 overall and 1-2 in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play.

Southwestern got off to a hot start behind the shooting of Lauren Fulenwider, who scored 15 of her game-high 21 points in the opening quarter, all on three pointers. The Pirates took a 21-14 lead with 4:10 left in the first, but Austin College closed the period with a 9-3 run to trim it to 24-23 after 10 minutes of action. Austin College limited the Pirates to just six points in the second quarter and got threes from Carrie Johnson and Natalie McCoy to surge ahead and go into the break leading 33-30, but an 11-4 run by Southwestern to open the second half put them on top 41-37.

Sarah Gwin scored to even things up at 43 apiece with 1:47 left in the third, but Southwestern scored four unanswered to end the frame and head into the fourth leading 47-43. McCoy knocked down a triple to cut it to 47-46 early in the fourth, but Southwestern's Ellie Ward answered with a trey of her own and the Pirates pushed the lead to seven at 59-52 with 3:06 left to play. McCoy scored five quick points to cut the margin to 61-57, but that's as close as the 'Roos would get the rest of the way. Ward scored all 16 of her points in the fourth, hitting 9-of-10 from the free throw line. She added eight rebounds and six assists in the game.

McCoy paced Austin College with 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including 3-of-4 from long range while adding six rebounds. Kacie West added 11 points, six rebounds, five steals, and three assists, and Sarah Putnicki came off the bench to add 10 points. She also had three blocked shots. Fulenwider was held scoreless after halftime, finishing with 21 points on 7-of-16 shooting, with all seven makes coming from beyond the arc. Reece Sandercock had 14 points, 13 rebounds, and eight blocked shots for the Pirates.