WEATHERFORD – A first-quarter barrage from (rv) Henderson State proved to be the difference Thursday night as SWOSU Women's Basketball fell 83-65 to the Reddies in Weatherford.
 
Henderson State seized control from the opening tip, sprinting out to a 20-0 lead and never looking back. The Reddies buried seven three-pointers in the first quarter alone as SWOSU struggled to find rhythm early, starting just 2-of-15 from the field through the game's first 10 minutes. HSU opened the night 7-for-12 from beyond the arc, built a 28-6 advantage by the end of the first quarter, and finished the game 14-for-28 from deep.
 
SWOSU settled in after the early onslaught and made a run before halftime, briefly cutting the deficit to 15 with under a minute remaining in the second quarter. Henderson State answered one more time, however, drilling its 10th three-pointer of the first half in the closing seconds to carry a 43-25 lead into the break. After halftime, the Lady Bulldogs matched the Reddies score-for-score, as both the third and fourth quarters ended even (22-22 in the third and 18-18 in the fourth).
 
Henderson State finished the night shooting 51% from the field and 50% from three-point range, both season highs allowed by SWOSU. The Reddies' 14 made three-pointers also marked a season-high by a SWOSU opponent. Brynlee Huggins led all scorers with 28 points, the most by an opposing player against the Lady Bulldogs this season.
 
SWOSU shot 37% from the field and 36% from beyond the arc. Sincere Jackson led the Lady Bulldogs with 18 points and five rebounds, while Elle Papahronis added 15 points. Kasidy Russell also reached double figures with 10.
 
SWOSU (5-7, 3-5 GAC) will look to bounce back Saturday, January 10, when the Lady Bulldogs close out their three-game homestand against Ouachita Baptist. Tipoff is set for 1:00 p.m. in Weatherford.