COLUMBUS, Miss. – The W women's basketball absorbed its first setback of calendar year 2026, losing a St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) contest to Principia College, 76-63, at Pohl Gym. The loss by the Owls (4-11, 3-4 SLIAC) to the Panthers (6-8, 3-2 SLIAC) snapped a three-game win streak – all in conference – for MUW.
The W never led in the game, but stayed within single digits the first half, trailing by a manageable nine points, 36-27, at the intermission. But, in what has become an all-too-familiar scenario, the Owls suffered a third-quarter hiccup. This time, the visiting Principia squad was able to double its lead to 18 points, 47-29, four minutes into the third quarter, thanks to a 11-2 run.
To MUW's credit, however, the team rallied back with a 9-0 skein of its own in the third stanza. In the fourth period, the Owls got the margin down to seven points, 68-61, with just under five minutes remaining. But playing from behind seemed to take its toll, as the Owls would manage just one more basket the rest of the game (missing six of tis final seven field goal tries).
After a sluggish first half, MUW's
Mia Bowen turned up the heat in the second half when she scored 16 of her game-leading 20 points for the night. Bowen also posted a game-high 11 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season and 15th-consecutive game with double-digit scoring. The NCAA Division III leader in blocked shots coming into the game added three more swats, upping her 2025-26 total to 56.
Fellow senior
Conley Langford chipped in 12 points and six rebounds.
Fantasia Wilson booked 11 points, six rebounds, and five assists.
Calysia Phillips added 10 points, four rebounds, four assists, and a game-best four steals.
The Panthers held a commanding 48-to-30 advantage for points in the paint over The W. The Owls' bench found itself outscored by a 16-3 margin.
The W will look to return to its winning ways next Thursday (January 22/5:30 p.m.), when it travels to SLIAC-leader Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri. The game versus the Gorloks will begin a string of five-straight SLIAC road games for MUW.
