'Roo Women Suffer First SCAC Loss

SHERMAN, Texas – The Austin College women's basketball team saw its five game winning streak come to an end on Friday night, falling 80-70 to visiting Schreiner University. The 'Roos are now 11-5 overall and 5-1 in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play.

Austin College scored the first three points of the game but Schreiner answered with a 12-2 run to grab an early seven point lead, but the 'Roos fought back and squared things at 15 on a Bryce Frank free throw with 2:07 left in the opening quarter. Schreiner regained the lead and went ahead 19-16, but Olivia Cicci banked in a three with 41 seconds left to make it 19-19 after one quarter.

Schreiner scored to open the second frame, but Austin College responded with an 11-0 run fueled by five quick points from Kali Vittallo to make it a 30-21 game with 5:15 left before halftime. Kelsie Jackson knocked down a triple for Schreiner, but Austin College countered with six straight to push the margin to 36-24 with 2:14 left in the quarter. Schreiner would battle back with a run of their own, outscoring the 'Roos 7-2 in the final two minutes to trim it to a 38-31 game at the break.

Kendall Heitmeier hit a three and Chrissy Ray scored to make it 43-33 early in the third, but once again the Mountaineers fought back, using a 13-2 run capped off by back to back threes from Jackson to take a 46-45 lead with 2:04 left in the third. Austin College briefly regained the lead at 48-46, but Jackson scored just before the buzzer to tie things up once again at 48 apiece heading into the fourth.

A three from Heitmeier gave the 'Roos a 54-50 lead early in the fourth, but a 10-4 run by Schreiner gave the Mountaineers a 60-58 lead with 5:14 left in the game. Frank tied things up with a short jumper but Cassandra Aleman hit two threes to put Schreiner on top 66-62 with 3:32 left in the game. Heitmeier hit two free throws to make it a 68-66 game, but Codi Simmons buried a triple to put Schreiner ahead 71-66 with 1:43 left and the Mountaineers wouldn't look back, hitting seven free throws in the final 37 seconds to seal the game.

Katie Gowdy scored 14 points to lead Austin College, hitting 5-of-7 shots from the field. Heitmeier finished with 13 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, and Frank added 13 points and four rebounds. Ray chipped in nine points, eight rebounds, and three blocked shots.

Jackson led all scorers with 24 points, hitting 5-of-8 from long distance and adding seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Aleman and Dyamond Puebla each scored 12 and Sabriyyah Fennell had 12 rebounds to go along with nine points for Schreiner.

Austin College will be looking to bounce back tomorrow when they host No. 25-ranked Trinity University at 6:00 p.m.

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