COLUMBIA, Mo. – The William Woods University women's basketball team opened the 2021 season with a 60-55 road win at Stephens College. The Owls had three players shoot in double figures, led by freshman Natalie Thomas with 21. 
 
The Owls host Williams Baptist for their home-opener on Thursday, Jan. 7, at 5:30 p.m. Fans are not allowed at the event but can follow the game live here.
 
By The Numbers
45.1 – The Owls shot 45.1 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from the three-point line.
21 – Natalie Thomas led the floor with 21 points, shooting 8-for-16 from the field and 4-for-6 from the three-point line.
14 – Tori Nesslage added 14 points to the board, going 5-for-9 from the field.
11 – Kasey Hazel went 5-for-8 from the field for 11 points.
 
Game Flow
Natalie Thomas scored the first points of the game off the tip, and Tori Nesslage extended the lead to four on the next possession. A two from Kasey Hazell gave the Owls a seven-point advantage just over halfway through the first quarter, 8-1. Stephens cut the game to four over the next minute, but the Owls put together a 6-0 run to take a 10-point lead, 14-4. Amaya Keeling drained a three with 26 seconds on the clock to give the Owls an 11-point advantage, but Stephens scored in the paint on the final possession of the quarter to end the first with a 17-8 Owls' lead.
 
Stephens slashed the Owls' lead and evened the score halfway through the second quarter, 22-22. Karlena Keller hit a three to take back the lead, and Thomas added two more to give the Owls a five-point lead. Stephens answered with five of their own to again even the score, 27-27. Nesslage put the Owls back up with 1:46 to play, and with 16 seconds to play in the first half, Thomas swooshed her second three of the quarter to take a five-point lead. Stephens went 1-for-2 just before break to send the game into halftime with the Owls leading 32-28.
 
The Owls came out with a newfound fire in the second half, quickly pushing out an eight-point lead. A two from Hazell put the Owls up by 10 with 4:21 to play. Stephens cut the game to four with a 6-0 run, but Thomas halted it with back-to-back threes to go back up by 10. Nesslage hit a three to take a 13-point lead at the end of three, 49-36.
 
Stephens cut the game to seven while holding the Owls scoreless for the first three minutes of the fourth quarter. Hazell broke the silence with a down-low bucket with 6:34 on the clock, and a 6-0 run starting with Arriyonn Phillips' long jumper put the Owls up by 13 with 1:44 left in the game. With just under a minute to play, the Owls held a 13-point lead, but Stephens scored the final seven points to cut the game to five at the buzzer, 60-55.