COLUMBIA - The Lady Owls shot just 36 percent (22-of-61) from the field in suffering their first loss of the season to the No. 13 Lady Cougars in Thursday night's American Midwest Conference showdown.
William Woods University (8-1, 3-1 AMC) found itself down 24-12 after one quarter and trailed 38-24 going into halftime. Columbia (8-2, 4-0) owned a 58-40 advantage to start the fourth quarter.
Senior guard Kaycee Gerald connected on 10-of-19 shots to guide the Lady Owls with a game-high 23 points. Senior guard Ashleigh Frampton was next with 11 points.
Senior guard Peyton Greenlee pulled down seven rebounds as William Woods was outrebounded 40-32.
Jordan Alford tallied 19 points to spur three players in double figures for the Lady Cougars, who shot 46 percent (26-of-57) as a team. Bria Jones provided 11 points and Mai Nienhueser added 10.
The Lady Owls travel to Lindenwood University-Belleville (Ill.) for an AMC contest at 1 p.m. Saturday.