FULTON, Mo. – The Spalding women's basketball team fell to the Westminster Blue Jays in the SLIAC game of the week, 58-55, on Saturday afternoon. Spalding fell to 12-5 in overall and 6-4 in SLIAC play with Westminster improving to 8-2 in SLIAC play.
 
Maya Hardin once again led the Eagles with 15 points and six rebounds. Alex Martin was right behind her with a total of 10 points and nine rebounds. Julie Skaggs and Brandy Hunter followed, each with 10 points, Skaggs with six rebounds and Hunter with four.
 
The first quarter kicked off with a jump shot from Westminster's Mackenzie Haddox leading to a streak of shots by Westminster that would push them ahead 13-4. It was Brandy Hunter's three-pointer that would get the ball rolling for the Eagles, which was followed with back-to-back three-pointers by Maya Hardin and Mackenzie Meyers. A jump shot by Kim Mingus would push the Eagles ahead 15-13, but the lead wouldn't last long as Westminster got the ball back and the first quarter ended in their favor, 17-15.
 
The Eagles battled back the second quarter, with Alex Martin starting things up with a jump shot. It was a constant battle between Westminster and Spalding as Kim Mingus would once again tie the game 19-19 with a jump shot, but a thre-pointer made by Westminster would once again push them ahead. Skaggs started closing the gap as she shot two jump shots within minutes of each other, once again tying the game 26-26. But with 13 seconds left on the clock, Haddox hit a jump shot of her own which would end the quarter, 28-26, with Westminster still in the lead.
 
Spalding would continue to fight in the third quarter, never letting the gap between them and Westminster increase by more than five points. Hardin would tie up the game with a jump shot followed by a jump shot by Skaggs that once again kept them neck and neck with the Blue Jays. The ball would soon fall back into Westminster's favor, but a jump shot by Mackenzie Meyers would end the third quarter, 41-38, with Westminster still scraping ahead.
 
The Eagles weren't going down that easy as they went into the fourth quarter, Hardin starting things up with a jumper which was followed up by a lay-up by Alex Martin which would push the Eagles ahead 44-43. The Blue Jays fought back as they hit a burst of shots, taking the lead 56-44. Hunter would bury a three-pointer, which started up a string of success for the Eagles. Hardin hit another jumper at the 1:03 mark, but a missed three-pointer by Meyers would end the game, 58-55, with Westminster taking the win.
 
The Golden Eagles will be back in action against the Eureka College Red Devils January 27 in Eureka, Illinois. Tip-off is at 7 pm EST.