Box Score Olathe, Kan. - The Lady Cougar basketball team faced off against their third ranked opponent in four games on Thursday night, falling by a score of 86-68 on the road at sixth-ranked MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) University. Columbia, ranked 21^st in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll, drops to 4-4 on the season. The Pioneers improve to 9-1 with the victory.

The Lady Cougars shot 44 percent from the field in the opening period, but were unable to contain one of the NAIA's top offenses as MidAmerica Nazarene connected on 17 of 35 attempts (49 percent) from the floor on their way to a 42-31 halftime lead. Columbia cut the Pioneer lead to single digits coming out of the locker room and pull within four at 50-46 with 14:55 remaining. The two squads would go back and forth over the next eight minutes as a pair of free throws by Tierney Seifert made it 66-61 in favor of MidAmerica Nazarene with 6:51 to play in regulation. From there, the Pioneers used a 12-0 run to put the game away as they stretched their lead out to 20 during the final minutes.

MidAmerica Nazarene shot 57 percent in the second half and finished at 52 percent for the game, led by Daria Sprew with 20 points and six rebounds. The Lady Cougars hit 24 of 57 attempts (42 percent) on the night and were led by Ashley Fisher with 20 points and Corri Hamilton with 10.

Columbia will be idle until the Cougars vs. Cancer Classic on Saturday, December 28^th and Sunday, December 29^th. The Lady Cougars will take on the University of Saint Mary on Saturday at 6 pm, followed by a matchup with 20^th-ranked University of the Cumberlands on Sunday.