CLINTON, Miss. --- A pair of Mississippi College freshmen led the team in scoring as the Choctaw (4-13, 3-11 Gulf South Conference) fell 76-64 to the 24th ranked Union University. The Lady Bulldogs improved to 13-3 and 11-3 in the league.
 
Karly Ivy and Ava Knoedl each recorded double figures to pace the squad. Ivy totaled 13 points while Knoedl added 11. Knoedl also tied for tops on the team in rebounds as she joined Dezirae King Danielle Tennant with four boards.
 
MC shot 52.1 percent from the field, including a 46.2 clip from the 3-point line. The Blue and Gold also shot 88.9 percent from the free-throw line and grabbed 25 rebounds.
 
The Blue and Gold held a 23-20 advantage at the end of the first 10 minutes of action and expanded its lead to 30-23 with 4:42 left before the intermission – its largest of the game – as Tennant converted a UU turnover into a layup, two of its 17 on the night. However, the Blue and Gold found itself trailing 41-35 at the break as UU outscored them 21-12 in the second period.
 
Union, which has won seven straight in the series, expanded its margin in the third stanza as it outscored the Choctaw by nine. The Lady Bulldogs reached a double-digit lead late in the third and never looked back, despite being outscored in the final 10 minutes of action.
 
Bethany Dillard led a trio of players donning the Red and White with 18 points. UU posted a 53.1 clip from the floor and was 9-for-20 from behind the arc (45.0%). The Lady Bulldogs made a living at the line as they knocked down 15 of 23 shots from the stripe and pulled down 26 boards.
 
Mississippi College returns to action on Thursday, Jan. 19 as it travels to the Peach State, to face Valdosta State University. Tip is set for 5 p.m. central.
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