COLUMBUS, Miss. – Despite losing at LaGrange College on Friday afternoon, 73-59, the Mississippi University for Women ended calendar 2022 with a couple of noteworthy accomplishments for its body of work, thus far. Completing its pre-2023 contests, the Owls (6-6) team will be at the .500 level heading into New Year's Day for the first time in its brief history and also has the program's most wins – 6 – before turning the calendar over.
 
On what is probably a frustrating note for The W is that it has not been able to win consecutive games, nor has it lost two in a row, either. The Owls have followed a see-saw pattern of a win followed by a loss, then repeat, through their first 12 games.
 
After a win last Friday, MUW was hoping to alter that rhythm at LaGrange. But it was not to be, as the Panthers took the season series versus The W.
 
Down 14-5 after five minutes, MUW went on a 25-12 run over the next 10 minutes to lead by four, 30-26, with 4:58 left until the intermission. But LaGrange would close out the half with a 16-4 streak of its own and owned a 42-34 cushion at the break.
 
LC opened the second stanza by scoring the first five points and built a double-digit lead it maintained for the bulk of the final 20 minutes. A three-point basket by MUW's Milos Zeradjanin with 24:26 left to play got the Owls to within eight points, 65-57. That was as close as The W would get the rest 0f the way.
 
Brye Hopkins led the Owls' scoring with 16 points. Hopkins was 5-of-14 from the field and 6-for-8 from the free throw line.
 
Thomas Wright barely managed to extend his double-figure scoring streak to 12 games by muscling up 10 points, going 5-for-9 from the floor. Wright also had five rebounds and a pair of steals.
 
Shon Wright turned in nine points and a team-leading six rebounds. Quintiyus Causey and Dariun Doss each booked eight points, with Doss pulling down five boards.
 
Zeradjanin's five points and three by Josh Dukes rounded out the Owl scorers.
 
The W will next be at home on Saturday, January 7 hosting Toccoa Falls College as the back end of a women-men doubleheader.