BETHANY, Okla.- Southern Nazarene's Women's Basketball team went head to head with No. 1 Texas Woman's at the Sawyer Center. The Storm put up a tough fight, but in the end, they came up short, falling 55-44 in a hard fought battle.   

From the opening tip off, the Storm (1-2, 0-0 GAC) were ready to put up a fight. Texas Woman's (5-0, 0-0 LSC) got on the board first with a layup by Ashley Ingram, but SNU wasted no time in answering back. Shannon Burton hit a three point shot, thanks to an assist from Katie King, giving SNU an early lead in the game. 

The Pioneers regained some of their control, but not without the Storm making them work for it. Jillian Crawford's jump shot helped SNU stay in the game, closing the first quarter score down to just two, 11-9.  

The second quarter saw Texas Woman's start it up with IIngram continued to shine for the Pioneers, but SNU kept going. Hannah Duncan nailed a jumper, and Jena Bay added a smooth layup off a Duncan assist. Hannah Giddey was also a force in the paint, scoring a handful of  points to keep the Storm in the game. However, Texas Woman's Leila Patel and Averee Kleinhans combined for a couple of baskets. At halftime, the Crimson Storm trailed just 29-21.

The third quarter turned into a battle, Texas Woman's started hot with a three from Patel, but SNU's Umi Otsuka fired right back with a three of her own. Giddey and Duncan continued to find ways to score inside, with Otsuka adding another three pointer to cut into the lead. The Storm kept fighting but the Pioneers held steady, heading into the fourth quarter up 43-34.  

In the final quarter, SNU turned it up in the final quarter, with Giddey continuing to dominate in the paint and Braci Nyberg giving out assists to keep the offense moving. The SNU defense also stepped up, forcing some misses for the Pioneers and grabbing multiple rebounds, including a defensive board from Giddey. But TWU's Scout Huffman and Kayla Glover responded with a couple of more baskets to maintain their lead.  

As the clock wound down, the Storm pushed until the very end, with Giddey adding a late jumper to bring her total to 16 points for the game. However, Texas Woman's held their ground and closed out the game with a 55-44 win.

Next Up

The Crimson Storm will take on University of Central Oklahoma Tuesday November 19 at 5:30 in the Hamilton Field House in Edmond, Oklahoma.