Box Score BATESVILLE, Ark. – The W women's basketball team stumbled in its St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) opening game on the road, in an 85-71 setback at Lyon College. The Owls fell to 0-5 on the season (0-1 SLIAC), while the Scots improved to 2-4 (1-0 in the SLIAC).
 
MUW trailed by just three points after one quarter, 20-17. But in the second period, LC would outscore the Owls, 23-6, and carry a comfortable 43-23 cushion into the halftime break and never looked back. The closest MUW was able to get in the second half came at 5:09 in the third stanza, when Mia Bowen's three-point play cut the deficit to 49-39.
 
 But the Owls could get no closer, despite forcing the Scots into 23 turnovers. MUW's "Achille's Heel" proved to be on the glass, where Lyon held a 68-to-47 advantage in rebounds.
 
Fifth-year senior Conley Lanford led The W with 20 points, going 6-for-15 from the field, to headline a quartet of MUW players in double-digit scoring. Langford was 4-of-11 from beyond the arc, making all of the Owls' long-range points (the rest of the team was 0-for-20 from three-point range).
 
Langford also collected three steals and grabbed four rebounds.
 
Senior Mia Bowen finished the day with 18 points, buoyed by a 10-fo-14 effort from the free throw stripe. Bowen snared eight rebounds and had two blocked shots.
 
A pair of former New Hope High School products – first-year players Jakayla Smith and Tamera Ross - had their best outings as collegians. Smith finished with her first collegiate career double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds, hitting 7-o-17 from the field.
 
Ross did a little bit of everything for the Owls, adding 10 points and a game-high five blocked shots. She also grabbed four rebounds and made a game-leading five steals, as well.
 
The W will next face Huntingdon College on Saturday (Nov. 29/3 p.m.) in Jackson, Miss., at the Millsaps College Tournament.