FULTON, Mo. – The William Woods University women's basketball team dropped its first conference game of the season when they were defeated by No. 16 Columbia College, 78-52, on Saturday afternoon at Anderson Arena.
 
Peyton Greenlee led the Owls (5-4, 3-1 AMC) with 11 points in the contest. Jasmine Brown and Hannah Bland followed with 10 points each to round out the double figure scorers. Brown and Kaycee Gerald led the Owls with six rebounds each in the contest. WWU shot 26.8 percent from the floor in the loss.
 
WWU returns to action on Thursday, December 14th when they travel to Walnut Ridge, Arkansas to face Williams Baptist College in AMC action. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.
 
Game Flow
Columbia came out in the first quarter against the Owls on a 12-4 run. Jordan Alford hit a three-pointer with 6:29 capping off the run for CC. Trailing by eight, the Owls cut the lead down to five, 13-8, after a pair of free throws by Bailey Rollins. Columbia stretched the lead back seven but a pair of free throws by Sommer Burgard timed the lead back to five. Columbia closed the quarter out scoring the final three points and led the Owls 23-15 after one quarter of play.
 
Over the first three minutes of the second quarter, the Cougars scored the first 10 points growing its lead to 33-15. Rollins scored the first basket for the Owls with 7:06 left in the quarter. The Cougars slowly grew the lead to 23 points, 41-18, after a three-point play by Sarah Walters. Columbia grew the lead to 25 before Jasmine Brown scored five straight and Hannah Bland hit a jumper in the paint taking the lead down to 19, 44-25. Bland hit a pair of free throws to end the half and WWU trailed by 17, 44-27 at halftime.
 
Columbia stretched the lead back to 21 opening the third quarter before a layup by Bland and a pair of free throws by Greenlee had the Cougars lead back to 17, 48-31. Again, the Cougars grew the lead back to 24 points and a three by Greenlee put the Owls down 21, 55-34, with 6:40 to go in the quarter. After the three by Greenlee, the Owls did not score again until 2:41 left in the quarter when Greenlee hit a free throw. Columbia stretched the lead to 32 points, 69-37, after three quarters of play.
 
With the Owls down, 72-40, WWU scored the next six points and trailed 72-46 with 5:42 left in the contest. WWU continued to battle but could not get the shots to fall and a pair of free throws by Bland put the Owls down 25, 75-50. WWU could not get any closer and were defeated, 78-52 by the Cougars.
 
By the Numbers
11 – Peyton Greenlee led the Owls with 11 points
10 – Jasmine Brown and Hannah Bland added 10 points each for the Owls
3-for-21 – WWU was 3-for-21 on three-pointers against Columbia
26.8 – The Owls shot 26.8 percent from the floor in the contest
11 – William Woods had 11 steals
6 – Brown and Kaycee Gerald led the Owls with six rebounds each
14 – WWU had 14 turnovers in the game