COLUMBIA, S.C. - CIU women's basketball hosted Bryan College (Tenn.) for an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) contest on Saturday afternoon. The Rams narrowly trailed the Lions throughout the contest but could not overcome the deficit to fall 69-61. 

Game Recap: Bryan College jumped out to a 5-0 start before Zhani Thompson put CIU on the board with a layup. A fast-break layup from Irene Were tied the game at 8-8 (6:00), but two free throws gave the Lions the edge again. Bryan began to pull away, leading by 13 points (24-11) at the end of the first quarter. The Rams responded with a strong second quarter, outscoring the Lions 21-15, with Magdalena Mihaljevic contributing eight points off the bench. CIU narrowed the gap to within four multiple times but went into halftime trailing 39-32.

The Rams struggled offensively in the third quarter, adding only 12 points as Bryan extended their lead to 55-44 heading into the final period. CIU fought back with a 17-point fourth quarter, including a 15-0 run that cut the deficit to five (66-61) with 1:05 remaining. However, two late free throws by Bryan sealed the game, and the Rams fell 68-61.

Thompson led the Rams with a double-double, tallying 15 points, 15 rebounds, and three blocks. Mihaljevic also had a season-high 15 points, while Mariah Leinbach added 10 points to round out CIU's double-digit scorers.