SHERMAN, Texas – The Austin College women's basketball team saw its three game winning streak come to an end as the 'Roos fell 79-75 to visiting Southwestern University on Saturday evening. The 'Roos are now 8-9 overall and 3-4 in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play with the defeat.

Austin College got out to a fast start against the Pirates, with Kendall Heitmeier and Christina Kime knocking down three pointers to help the 'Roos grab a 10-3 lead four and a half minutes in. Southwestern fought back with an 8-4 run capped by a trey from Olivia Podaras to make it 14-11 with 11:34 left, but threes from Erin Riley and Kime, and a bucket from Chrissy Ray gave Austin College a 24-17 lead three minutes later.

Southwestern would respond with an 11-2 run, including a three from Audrey Garcia to square things up and a layup by Annie Bourne to give the Pirates their first lead of the game at 28-26 with 4:44 left before halftime. Another triple from Riley put Austin College back on top 31-30, but Southwestern would get a three from Madison Eschle and buckets from Bourne and Jordan Owens to head into the locker room leading 37-33.

Christina Kime got the scoring started in the second half with a trey to make it a one point game, but Bourne would score six of the next eight points for Southwestern as the Pirates pushed the lead to 45-38 with 16:07 left to play. Austin College battled back and cut it to a one point game twice over the next several minutes, with Kali Vittallo's three making it a 48-47 game with 13:07 on the clock.

Another Vittallo three would halt an 8-2 run and make it a 56-52 game with 11:35 left. Southwestern would maintain its leads over the next several minutes, and after Kime knocked down a pair of free throws to pull the 'Roos to within three at 65-62 with 4:48 left, three pointers from Eschle and Bourne gave the Pirates a 72-62 lead with 1:59 to play. Vittallo would knock down two more triples to bring it to a 73-68 game, but a basket by Bourne and a free throw from Owens made it 79-72 before Kime beat the buzzer with a three to make it a 79-75 final.

Kime finished with 22 points and seven assists to lead Austin College, knocking down 4-of-7 threes and adding four rebounds and two steals. Heitmeier finished with 13 points and Vittallo hit 4-of-9 from deep to add 12 points and three assists.

Owens led all scorers with 25 points and added seven rebounds, and Bourne finished with 21 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Eschle hit 4-of-6 threes on her way to 13 points, and Valerie Logan handed out a game-high nine assists.

Austin College athletic teams participate as a member of the NCAA Division III and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.