LAURINBURG, N.C. - CIU women's basketball stepped into Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) play with a road trip to North Carolina to take on St. Andrews University on Wednesday afternoon. Despite leading at the break, CIU could not carry this momentum and fell 77-65. The Rams are now 1-2 on the season and 0-1 in AAC. 

Aubrelle Harris got CIU on the board with a layup in the paint, but the lead seesawed between the two teams throughout the first period. Mariah Leinbach reclaimed the lead with a layup (9-8), sparking an 11-2 run to put CIU up by double-digits, 20-10. The Rams extended their lead by 12 (8:40) until the Knights mounted a comeback. St. Andrews took the lead halfway through the second, but CIU went into the intermission with a three-point lead courtesy of a free throw by Daja Taylor. 

St. Andrews regained the advantage into the third quarter, and the lead once again exchanged hands until the Knights went up by three (51-48) entering the game's final ten minutes. A Keniah Watkins' layup (7:34) propelled the Rams back in front, 55-54, but their momentum was short-lived. The Knights went up by as much as 14, as CIU only managed 11 more points before the final buzzer, resulting in a 77-65 defeat.

Leinbach led the way with 24 points and eight rebounds, while Taylor and Watkins found themselves in double digits with 12 and 11, respectively. Jessica North was impressive off on the glass with a career-high of 12 rebounds. Offensively, the Rams posted a season-high field goal percentage, going 27-of-71 (38%).