KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - Just under two weeks from the official start of its 2024-25 campaign, William Woods University faced NCAA Division II Truman State University, and the Owls fell 87-53 to the Bulldogs in an exhibition Sunday at Pershing Arena. India Atkins led WWU on both sides with a team-high 12 points and five rebounds.

In the first quarter, William Woods narrowed its deficit to as low as five points (12-7) after Truman State started the contest on an 11-0 run. Newcomer Kaedence Gipson scored three of the Owls' seven points in that stretch, landing a jumper and making a free throw. Her three points in the first quarter tied Mariah Prince for the team lead, with Prince hitting three attempts from the charity stripe, and her third make ended the scoring in the first with Woods trailing 14-8.

Unlike the first quarter when the Bulldogs went 2-2 from the free-throw line, Truman State got to the charity stripe often in the second quarter, going 13-15, while the Owls made 4-of-7 free throws in the first quarter and 3-of-3 in the second quarter. The Bulldogs' free-throw advantage was key in outscoring WWU 27-17 in the second quarter to hold a 41-25 lead at halftime. Sydney Booker and Atkins each tallied four points in the second quarter to guide the Owls' offense.

Mackenzie Mann, a 6'2'' transfer from Missouri Valley College, paced William Woods' scoring in the third quarter with four points from a layup and a jumper. The latter of those makes began a 4-0 Owls run to end the quarter, with Layla Young landing a layup to finish her six-point performance and narrow WWU's deficit to 26 points (63-37) heading into the fourth quarter.

Prince had a solid fourth quarter for the Owls, scoring six of her nine points. She made two layups and two free throws each. And Payton Dearing knocked down WWU's only 3-pointer of the contest, as it was outscored 24-16 by Truman State in the fourth quarter.

Overall, the Owls went 18-59 from the field, 1-16 from beyond the arc and 16-20 at the free-throw line, and they collected 30 rebounds and forced 12 turnovers, while the Bulldogs were 27-55 from the field, 11-27 from deep and 22-27 at the charity stripe, and they totaled 38 rebounds and forced 15 turnovers.

Outside of Atkins, William Woods' top performers were a pair of Southern Boone graduates, with Prince registering nine points, two rebounds and one assist and Jersee Wren four points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal.

The Owls' season officially tips off when they take on future conference opponent MidAmerica Nazarene University in the Remy Williams Classic, hosted by Park University at 1 p.m. Nov. 1 at Breckon Sports Center in Parkville.