Box Score Leavenworth, Kan. - The Columbia Lady Cougars suffered their second straight loss on Friday night as Ottawa (Kan.) University escaped with a last minute 54-53 victory at the Saint Mary Classic. Columbia falls to 1-2 with the loss.

The Lady Cougars trailed 31-26 at the halftime break after shooting 37 percent (10 of 27) from the field in the opening period. Columbia connected on three of eight attempts from behind the three-point line, but the Braves took advantage of the charity stripe by knocking down 13 of 16 attempts in the frame. Ottawa led by as many as eight in the half before a three by Danielle Duncan cut the lead to five heading into the locker room. Duncan and Laurel Wichmann each had six points in the first 20 minutes to lead the Lady Cougars at the break.

Columbia took a 37-33 advantage with the help of a 9-0 run to begin the second half, but the Braves answered right back with an 11-0 run of their own for a 44-37 lead with 9:36 remaining. The Lady Cougars battled back over the next eight minutes and eventually tied the score at 53 on a bucket by Wichmann with just over a minute to play. Each team committed a turnover during the final minute, leading to a final possession for the Braves with 19 seconds left in regulation. Wichmann would be whistled for a foul with seven seconds remaining and Ottawa's Mikayla Skidmore stepped to the free-throw line, where she would make one of two attempts for a one-point Braves lead. Columbia had one last possession, but Heather English's last second attempt was off the mark as Ottawa hung on for the upset victory.

The Lady Cougars were led by Kayla Washington with 13 points and a career-high 12 rebounds, marking her first career double-double. Wichmann and English also finished in double figures with 12 and 10 points, respectively.

The Lady Cougars will be back in action tomorrow afternoon to take on the University of Saint Mary on the final day of the USM Classic. Tip-off is set for 3:00 p.m. in Leavenworth, Kan.