GEORGETOWN, Texas – A 13-4 deficit after the first quarter proved to be too much to overcome as the Southwestern University women's basketball team dropped its season opener to Concordia 60-41 on Tuesday evening.
Ellie Ward's made jumper at the 8:30 mark of the first quarter was the only made field goal of the opening period for the Pirates (0-1). Jay Hollie broke a long scoring drought of over six minutes when they made one-of-two free throw attempts with 2:15 left in the first quarter.
Hollie would also score the final point of the period when the 5-foot-9 junior from Fort Worth sank their second free throw to make it 13-4.
The stagnant offensive output lingered over into the second quarter to which Concordia exploited the drought enough to lead by as many as 19 during a couple different portions on the second quarter.
The Pirates were without a made field goal for the first four minutes of the second period until Akyra Hodges sank a shot off an assist from Emily Edwards to draw to within 24-7.
It wouldn't be until the 2:55 mark remaining in the first half that the scoreboard reflected double-digits for the Pirates when Ward made a jumper and was quickly followed by making 2-of-3 at the charity stripe from Hollie who was fouled on a three-point attempt to make it 27-12.
Hodges would connect on a jumper to bring the Pirates to within 28-16 with 1:52 left before halftime, but Havyn Perez scored the final four points of the half for Concordia (1-0) on a made basket and two free throws.
Reece Sandercock recorded the first four points of the third quarter for either team drawing the Pirates within 12 points at 32-20 with 7:14 remaining in the third, but Southwestern's offense went frigid again and the Pirates did not score for the next 4:11 when Edwards' conversion made it 41-22 with 3:03 left in the third.
Southwestern would be held to just 24 percent (12-for-50) from the field and 12.5 percent (2-16) from long range.
The Pirates will need to maintain possession and cut down on its 29 turnovers in order to be able to then get into any kind of offensive numbers they players and coaches know they're capable of attaining.
Perez would end up scoring 11 for the Tornados who were led by Mikayla Johnson with 15 points.
Sandercock was the top scorer for the Pirates with nine points to go along with the six rebounds she pulled down.
Hodges hauled in a team-best seven rebounds in addition to the eight points she scored off the bench.
UP NEXT
Southwestern travels to Conway, Ark., for a pair of contests this weekend at the Grove Gymnasium on the campus of Hendrix College. The Pirates will take on Principia College out of the St. Louis, Mo., area at 1 p.m. CST on Saturday before taking on the host Hendrix Warriors at 1 p.m. CST on Sunday.
