COLUMBUS, Miss. -  The bad news for the Mississippi University for Women women's basketball team was that its upset bid versus Greenville University fell short, 84-73, in a St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) contest at Pohl Gym. The good news is that, despite the loss to the Panthers (14-9, 11-5 SLIC) – the SLIAC's third place team - the Owls (7-13, 6-10 SLIAC) still hold a one-game lead for the final SLIAC post-season berth with two games left.
 
While there are several scenarios, The W needs a win in one of its final two games to have any sort of control over its destiny. That won't be an easy task either, as the Owls face nationally-ranked and unbeaten SLIAC leader Webster on Thursday and current second place squad Westminster College in Saturday's regular-season finale.
 
MUW certainly gave it a valiant effort versus Greenville, especially freshman guard Darby Pitts (Mantachie, Miss.). Pitts had her first collegiate double-double game, registering career highs in both points, 19, and rebounds, 10, in the setback. Pitts, at 5-foot-7 inches, had eight caroms off the defensive glass. She also dished off four assists and made a pair of steals.
 
A pair of Pitts' teammates matched her 19 points, to lead all scorers in the game. Claire Leak (Lamar, Miss.) was 7-for-11 shooting overall, including draining a game-best five three-point baskets. Leak sprang for a team high five assists, as well as pulling down six rebounds.
 
Junior guard Conley Langford (Calhoun City, Miss.) – stop us if you've heard this one before – scored in double figures for the school record 28th-consecutive game with 19 points, as well. Langford grabbed seven rebounds – all of the defensive variety – to go along with her three assists and team-leading three steals. She hit 6-of-10 from the floor and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw stripe, also converting 3-of-6 from beyond the arc.
 
Freshman guard Leileigh Moody (Corinth, Miss.) narrowly missed becoming the Owls fourth double-digit scorer, as she booked nine points. Zoe Essary (Corinth, Miss.), who had missed the past three games with illness, came off of The W bench to add six points in 17 minutes of play.