Lady Eagles Fall to Cougars in Conference Bout

COLUMBIA, Mo. (12/7/24) – The Williams Baptist University women's basketball team fell to (RV) Columbia 77-69 inside the Arena of Southwell Complex on Saturday afternoon.

Carmen Taylor led all scorers with 20 points in the contest on 50 percent shooting (8-for-19).  Kaylee Isaacs followed with 13, Nijah Moore scored 12, and Chelsea Hamilton put up 10 points.  Taylor Hooten led the squad on the boards with a season-high 10 rebounds against the Cougars.

As a team, the Eagles went 29-for-79 (36.7 percent) from the field and 8-for-27 from three-point range.  The Eagles lost the rebound battle 51-39, but scored 10 points off 17 Cougar turnovers.  The lead changed hands nine times in the contest.

Carmen Taylor struck for the first three points of the game and WBU jumped out to a 5-4 lead until a 10-0 Cougar swing gave Columbia a 14-5 lead.

A Hamilton steal and layup brought the Eagles within four with 2 and a half minutes left in the second quarter, but Columbia held on to take a 38-31 lead into halftime.

A Kaylee Isaacs jumper gave Williams the lead in the third.  After a Cougar timeout, Carmen Taylor hit a triple to push the lead to four.  After another lead change, a Hooten trey put the Eagles back in front 59-58 to end the third quarter. 

Columbia took a one-point lead on a Lauren Friedrich free throw that it would not relinquish.  The Cougars added on with an 8-2 swing to ice the game.  A Friedrich free throw set the final line at 77-69 to hand WBU its first conference loss.

The Eagles fall to 5-3 on the season and 3-1 in AMC play.  Williams will return to the floor on Saturday, Dec. 14 to take on UHSP.  Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. from the Southerland-Mabee Center on the campus of Williams Baptist University.