SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The Rogers State women's basketball team could not recover from an early deficit falling 71-49 on the road at St. Mary's Saturday afternoon at Bill Greehey Arena.
 
The Hillcats got the opening basket from Emily Gamble, but the Rattlers scored the next seven points and a Dezirae Elias triple put the home side ahead by double figures, 14-4. The margin stretched to 22-6 at the end of the opening quarter as StMU tallied the final eight points of the frame.
 
Kami Bunch knocked down a three pointer in the middle stages of the second quarter closing the gap to 25-13 before the Rattlers again responded taking an 18-point edge into halftime, 35-17.
 
Using 10 bench points in the third stanza, StMU pushed the lead to 54-29 until RSU came out firing in the final quarter. Bunch hit a pair of free throws to open the frame and Madison Dearmin added an old-fashioned, three-point play as the Hillcats started to climb back into the contest.
 
Lindsey Byfield converted from long range and Bunch scored the next five points as RSU cut into the deficit, trailing 56-42 with 6:21 remaining in regulation. The Cats could not get closer as StMU closed out their fourth-straight win, 71-49.
 
Gamble and Bunch paced the Hillcats with 14 points and Natasha Kindred, playing in her hometown, added seven points and a game-high nine rebounds, including four on the offensive end.
 
Elias led all scorers with 22 points for the Rattlers hitting four from long range, while Mariah Lee and Kiara Etheridge added 13 and 10 points, respectively.
 
RSU (8-4 overall, 3-2 HC) returns to Heartland Conference action Jan. 14 facing unbeaten and No. 5 Lubbock Christian at the Claremore Expo Center. The game is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. and can be caught with live audio, video, and stats on the Hillcat Network at www.rsuhillcats.com/live.