BABSON PARK, Fla. — On Monday afternoon in the Sunshine State, the Milligan University women's basketball team knocked the rust off after a two-week hiatus in a non-conference contest at the Warriors of Webber International University. Following a tight, low-scoring first half, Milligan struggled mightily in the third quarter and ultimately fell to the Warriors, 65-54.

In the first quarter, the two sides took a measured approach, as neither side held a lead larger than three points to open the battle. Both squads struggled mightily with turnovers, as they combined to total 11 (WIU 6, MU 5) in the period alone. Six field goals were connected on by each team in the first, amounting to a 14-13 Milligan advantage. The Buffs attempted 15 shots, while Webber hoisted just 13, and an identical 1-of-3 conversion rate from distance was supplied.

The offenses slowed to a crawl in the second, as two fewer field goals were converted by both sides in the frame. The struggles led to shooting percentages below 30% from both squads, as the Buffs' 4-of-17 clip left much to be desired. Similarly, WIU shot just 4-of-14. The free-throw line was a godsend for an MU squad that hit zero three-point shots in the period, as they converted six shots from the charity stripe. Overall, they led 14-13 in the period, as both sides matched their first quarter outputs. It was 28-26 in favor of the Lady Buffs at the break.

A poor third-quarter showing from the Buffs is what made the difference in the contest, as they were outplayed in all facets. A shooting disparity of six made field goals (WIU 9-of-17, MU 3-of-12) was one factor. Another was the rebounding margin, which was skewed 12-3 in Webber's favor, including six offensive boards by the Warriors. On top of that, the Buffs turned the rock over to the Warriors eight times in the period, which led to seven WIU points. It was 48-34 with just 10 minutes left to be played.

With the 14-point deficit looming, Milligan had their strongest quarter in their last, scoring 20 points on a 7-of-19 shooting line. Unfortunately for the Lady Buffs, it was too little too late. They were able to cut the deficit down to as few as seven points with 2:49 left, but allowed 17 points to WIU in the period and fell by a final tally of 65-54.

McKenna Myers' 19 points on a 5-of-13 shooting line paced the Buffaloes, she also hit all three of Milligan's connections from beyond the arc. She also went 6-of-8 at the free-throw stripe. Semaj Clark also put up double-digit points (12), albeit on a less impressive 6-of-21 clip.

Clark led the team with five assists, making up nearly half of their distribution numbers. Kenzie Campbell and Naomi Atchley each passed out a pair of dimes, and Makenzie Bremer and Lina Lyon each doled out one.

In leading the team in backboards with 12, Clark achieved a double-double in the loss. Atchley brought in five assists the second-most prolific rebounder. Campbell and Bremer hauled in three apiece. The trio of Caroline Krueger, Callie Reeder and Lexi Ervin combined evenly for six rebounds, and Myers and Lyon rallied the remaining two.

A total of 11 steals were collected by Milligan, as all but one player who saw the floor tallied at least one. Clark had three, Atchley had two and the remainder of the roster (sans Ervin) added one each. Just a single blocked shot was tallied by Lyon in the bout.

Milligan's (8-5, 7-0 AAC) six-game winning streak has now been snapped, but they have an opportunity to begin a new run on Tuesday, Dec. 30 at 3 p.m. when they face off with the (RV) Southeastern University (Fla.) Fire in Lakeland.