BLUEFIELD, Va. - CIU women's basketball hit the highway for a midweek Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) matchup against Bluefield University on Wednesday. A dominant 27-point fourth quarter highlighted the Rams' effort, but an early deficit proved too much to overcome in a 64-55 loss.

Game Recap: CIU faced a tough start, trailing 14-5 after the first period, with Zhani Thompson accounting for all five of the Rams' points. The offense found some rhythm in the second period as Mariah Leinbach added five of CIU's 11 points, but the Rams still entered halftime down 32-16.

The Rams continued to show improvement after the break, scoring 12 points in the third quarter while holding Bluefield to 17. CIU made a strong push in the final quarter with 27 points, led by Madison Hatcher, who went a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc and tallied 12 points. Irene Were contributed eight, and a late three-pointer from Katlynn Chinn brought CIU within single digits, but the rally fell short in a 64-55 final.

Hatcher paced the Rams with 14 points, while Leinbach was just shy of a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds. Were also reached double figures with 10 points, while Thompson pulled down eight boards and Chinn added three steals to her defensive effort. 

Up Next: CIU remains on the road with a weekend matchup on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 2 p.m. against Johnson University (Tenn.).