Dec. 5, 2008

Box Score

Despite three Pirates scoring in double figures, Southwestern University was unable to hang on and dropped their first conference game of the season 60-58 at Austin College.

The game was a back and forth contest throughout with 11 ties and 10 lead changes.  Southwestern University opened strong leading by 6 at the 17-minute mark of the first half.  Austin College responded and brought the contest back even just 3 minutes later.  The game continued as a back and forth battle for the rest of the half with no team leading by more than three points at any point in the remainder of the half.  Southwestern went into halftime with a one point lead on a Jessica Herbst 3-pointer with 37 seconds to go.

Austin College began the second half by mounting a 5 point lead 3 minutes into the period.  SU responded and swung the count back in their favor by going up by 5 points near the halfway point.  The rest of the game would be a scramble to the finish. From the 11 minute point on, no one team had a lead larger than 3 points until Austin College took final control of the game with 36 seconds remaining, going up by 5.

Southwestern was led by sophomore center Staley Mullins who recorded her second double-double of the season with 18 points and 11 rebounds.  Mullins also had three blocks on the night which led the team. 

Mullins was joined by senior forward Natasha Azizi who scored 18 points and junior guard Narisa Trammell who added 13 points and a team leading 3 steals.  Azizi's 18 points gives her a career total of 1,005 which places her 5th on the Southwestern University points leader list.

The loss moves the Pirates to 3-4 overall and 0-1 in the conference.  Southwestern will next take on Colorado College in their second conference game on Saturday night in Colorado Springs, CO at 8:00 p.m.