COLUMBUS, Miss. -  The W women's basketball battled back from late double-digit deficits twice versus St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) co-leader Westminster College, only to see its rallies fall short, 80-65, at Pohl Gym. The Owls fell to 5-13 (4-7 SLIAC), while the high-flying Blue Jays improved to 13-5 (10-1 SLIAC).
 
MUW found itself behind the proverbial eight ball the bulk of the first half. WC took control early and built itself a 41-26 halftime cushion. But worse than having to overcome a double-digit margin for the Owls was the fact that they would have to do it without leading scorer and all-around standout Calysia Phillips, who suffered a leg injury with 5:24 left in the half and would not return the rest of the game.
 
With Phillips on the shelf, it fell on the rest of the squad to step up, which they did. After the Blue Jays opened the third quarter with an old fashioned three-point play, The W was down by its biggest margin, 18 points (44-26). But MUW flipped the switch on the Jays, going on a 14-2 run that cut the margin to two possessions, 46-40, with 6:30 left in the third. Back-to-back makes by Kymani Smith – a three and layup – proved to be her only points of the game and capped the Owls' run.
 
By the 8:48 juncture of the fourth quarter, Westminster again had a double-digit advantage again, 64-53.  But The W clamped down over the next 90 seconds and reeled off seven unanswered points, thanks to a three-point play by TK Jones, a Maddie Guerin layup and fast-break bucket from Reshya Hudson, that made it a four-point game, 64-60, with 7:11 left.
 
Unfortunately for the Owls, WC would answer with a 12-0 run of its own over a four-minute span that effectively ended The W's upset hopes.
 
Conley Langford led a trio of MUW double-figure scorers. Langford finished with 18 points – including three treys – and hauled in five rebounds.
 
Claire Leak added 15 points on a 6-for-13 shooting night. Leak topped The W players with nine rebounds, as well.
 
Phillips was on her way to a potential big night before being injured. Phillips hit 4-of-9 shots, good for 12 points, in just 13 minutes of court time.
 
Things don't get any easier for The W as it will host the other half of the SLIAC leaderboard – Webster University – on Saturday (Feb. 1/1 p.m.) at Pohl Gym.