BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (CentreColonels.com) – The Centre women's basketball team competed in the second of five consecutive Southern Athletic Association road games on Friday evening as they traveled to Bill Battle Coliseum to take on the Birmingham Southern Panthers. Trailing by double digits in the fourth quarter, the Colonels cut the deficit to a single point, but could not complete the comeback as the Panthers won by a score of 51-46.

Birmingham Southern dominated the early portion of the game, forcing several turnovers in jumping out to an 11-4 lead. Seniors Kaitlyn McKnight (Lebanon Junction, Ky.) and Bonnie Rhule (Versailles, Ky.) helped cut the deficit to 11-7 by the end of the quarter.

In the second quarter, Centre grabbed a 13-12 lead after consecutive baskets by freshman Abigail Stewart (LaGrange, Ky.). A pair of threes by BSC gave the Panthers a five point lead until sophomore Paige Kellam (Hebron, Ky.) cut the lead to 20-18 as the two teams headed into halftime locked in a defensive struggle.

After BSC's Jamiece Holmes and Centre's Olivia Schad (Cincinnati, Ohio) traded three-pointers to open the scoring in the second half, the Panthers went on a run, outscoring Centre 8-2 over the next four minutes. Junior Caroline Andreassen (Palm Harbor, Fla.) briefly stopped the run with a three-pointer, but points were hard to come by for the Colonels for the rest of the period as the Panthers took a 36-28 into the final frame.

The Panthers would take their largest lead of the game at 41-29 on a three by Holmes, but Centre would mount a furious rally. Stewart connected on a conventional three-point play and another layup. A free throw by Andreassen and two more free throws from Stewart cut the BSC lead to 43-39. The Panthers would stop the run as Yorisha Bryant scored two of her game high 19 points, but Centre would answer with a pair of free throws from Kellam. A second three-pointer from Schad brought the Colonels to within one point at 45-44 and Centre would have a chance to take the lead after Bryant made one of two free throws, but Centre was unable to convert. Centre pulled to within 49-46 after a layup by senior Alexis Guy (Chagrin Falls, Ohio), but the Panthers would seal the game by converting five of their final six attempts from the free throw line.

Abigail Stewart posted a team high 13 points for the Colonels. She also recorded a game high seven rebounds, along with Alexis Guy as the Colonels outrebounded the Panthers 37-30.

Olivia Schad and Bonnie Rhule each paced Centre with three assists.

Yorisha Bryant led Birmingham Southern in nearly every statistical category, finishing with 19 points, ten rebounds and four blocks.

The Colonels, now with a 2-3 mark in SAA play, will take to Jackson, Miss. for game three of their road trip as they face the Millsaps Majors on Sunday afternoon.