Women's Basketball | 2/8/2014 4:18:00 PM

Box Score FERRUM, Va. - The Methodist women's basketball team lost, 55-35, as No. 19 Ferrum led from start to finish on Saturday afternoon at Swartz Gym.
 
The Monarchs (10-8, 6-6 USA South) missed their first seven field-goal attempts of the day and trailed the Panthers (17-1, 11-1 USA South) by a 6-0 margin before Alexis Wallace hit a three-pointer at the 14:33 mark. Jackie Lyles would later score on consecutive possessions to bring MU within a single point of Ferrum (10-9) with 9:48 remaining in the first period.
 
From that point forward, Methodist shot 2-of-18 from the floor (.111) and turned the ball over five times to end the first half. In that same span, Ferrum hit 4-of-18 shots from the field (.222), but took advantage MU's offensive struggles to widen its lead to 10 points at intermission (23-13).
 
In the second period, the Panthers once again scored the first six points and led by 16 points (29-13) by the time Sydney Bryan scored Methodist's first basket of the second half at the 17:35 mark. The Monarchs would never be closer than within 13 points of Ferrum the rest of the afternoon, and trailed by as many as 22 points with under four minutes left in regulation.
 
Both teams finished with season-lows in shooting percentage as Methodist hit 13-of-69 shots from the floor (.188) while the Panthers converted on 21-of-67 field-goal attempts. The Monarchs attempted only 16 free throws (8-16) while the Panthers stepped to the charity stripe a grand total of 10 times (7-10). Ferrum held a 56-48 rebounding advantage
 
Lyles had eight points for the Monarchs, and Bryan and Ayanna Pegues grabbed nine rebounds apiece. Maya Banks had seven points and eight rebounds, and Wallace added seven points, eight rebounds and three steals.
 
Krista Cox scored a game-high 11 points for Ferrum, and Jacole Hairston totaled double-figures as well with 10 points. Shea Smith had six points, eight rebounds and nine assists, and Katy Kipps finished with eight points and 12 rebounds. Kylene Culler had six points and 11 rebounds.
 
Methodist will be back in action tomorrow to play at Mary Baldwin with tipoff scheduled for 1:00 pm.