Kansas City, Mo. – The SBU women's basketball team began the new year falling to the Rockhurst Hawks 52-74 Sunday afternoon, moving to 4-7 (1-4 GLVC) on the season.
 
Bearcats fell behind early 3-10 to the Hawks but quickly battle back with a 9-0 run to take a two-point lead. In that run, juniors Tinu Fakunle and Kamiyah Hurd scored five and four points respectively. After the first 10 minutes of the game, SBU lead 14-13. Following the 1^st quarter, the Hawks began to slowly pull away holding onto a few points lead until they went on an 2-11 point run putting the Bearcats down 15 at half. Rockhurst's tight defense held SBU's offense at bay through the rest of the game controlling home court advantage.
 
Natalia Crooke led all Bearcats in scoring with 14 points to go along with a team high three steals. As a team, they out rebounded the Hawks 42-37 with 20 of the teams' rebounds being offensive leading to 12 second chance points. Nearly half of those offensive boards came from sophomore Nahia Esnaola Agaen who had nine to go along with her game and career high 14 total rebounds. Hurd added along eight rebounds with her eight points in the game.
 
The team will now return home for two straight conference bouts in the comfort of the Meyer Center. The first will be Thursday, January 8^th at 5:30 p.m. against the Lincoln Blue Tigers.