FORT SMITH, Ark. - Rogers State women's basketball (7-7, 1-4 MIAA) could not withstand a fourth quarter push by Arkansas Fort Smith (9-5, 3-2 MIAA) as they came up short in the 68-53 decision on Wednesday night.

"I felt we played well in the first half, but they have so much length and athleticism," said head coach Heather Davis. "In the second half, we did not make good decisions and have to be more mentally tough in those situations. We let them dictate the game too much and did not play our style of basketball. I was really proud of Destiny Jones stepping up, because she is a workhorse and always hustles on every play, even if her results do not show on the stat sheet."

Cheyan McDaniel led the team in scoring with 12 points, and shot 60 percent from the 3-point line, where she went 3-5. Jones, McDaniel and Jaiana Wiggins each grabbed five rebounds. Alyza Aikins gave the Lions fits on defense as she recorded five steals, which was team and career high. Jones also had three steals. Aikins and Jones each notched two assists, and McDaniel added two blocks.

The first quarter was a tight one and featured five lead changes. However, UAFS closed the quarter on an 6-2 run to tie the game at 17 going into the second quarter. Both teams continued to trade buckets in the second quarter with the contest seeing six more lead changes, but the Lions took a slim 34-32 advantage going into the locker room. 

Things remained close early in the second half, but the Lions managed to separate themselves late in the third quarter. The Hillcats unfortunately allowed UAFS to close the quarter on a 9-3 run, making the score 49-42 going into the final quarter of action. In the final 10 minutes, the Lions built out a double digit lead and eventually took the 68-53 victory.

RSU looks to bounce back from this loss, and will return to action on Saturday, Jan. 11 when they travel to Tahlequah, Okla. to take on arch rival Northeastern State. Tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m.