ELSAH, Ill. – In its first-ever St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) game, the Mississippi University for Women women's basketball team saw its furious late rally come up short in a 78-65 loss at Principia College. The Owls fell to 1-3 on the year and 0-1 in the SLIAC, while the Panthers improved to 4-2 overall and a perfect 2-0 in league play by virtue of their win at Hay Field House.
 
The MUW demise occurred, largely, in the second quarter of action. The W trailed by a single point, 15-14, after one quarter. But in the second, the Panthers pounced on the Owls to the tune of a 27-13 differential in the period that gave the hosts a 15-point lead (42-27) heading into the halftime locker room.
 
Principia tallied the opening bucket of the third quarter to mark its largest lead of 17 points. MUW began the arduous task of getting back into the game by slicing the deficit to 11 points heading into the fourth period, 57-46.
 
In just under six-and-one-half minutes of the final segment, The W went on a 19-8 run to get within a single point, 65-64, on a Zoe Essary layup with 3:30 left to play. Unfortunately for visiting MUW, that was as close as it would be able to get, scoring just one more point the rest of the way.
 
Junior Conley Langford matched Principia's Taylor Brown for high point honors at 20. Langford led all rebounders with 13 to give her back-to-back double-double games (and nine for her Owls' career).
 
Essary finished the night with 11 points – nine coming in the second half – and narrowly missing a double-double herself with nine rebounds. Claire Leak also tallied 11 points, to go along with six caroms and a team-best four assists.
 
Freshmen Leileigh Moody and Miracle Joiner both had solid performances, as well. Moody booked nine points and five boards, while Joiner contributed eight points and two blocks.
 
Four points from Darby Pitts and two from Jas Patrick capped The W's scoring.
 
MUW out-rebounded the Panthers by a 47-37 margin. The Owls also held a 36-32 advantage for points in the paint.
 
The W will look for its first SLIAC win on Saturday (1 p.m.), when it travels to Fontbonne University in St. Louis, Mo.