BRIDGEWATER, Va.  Battling with Bridgewater College in the first game of the season, the Methodist women's basketball team suffered a 16–point defeat on Wednesday evening. The Monarchs sank 10 three–pointers on 18 attempts from deep in the losing effort, recording 53 points compared to the 69 points scored by the Eagles on their home court.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Bridgewater def. Methodist, 69-53
Records: Methodist 0-1, Bridgewater 3-0
Location: Nininger Hall; Bridgewater, Va.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After a slow start for both teams, the Eagles scored the first basket. Three and a half minutes in, Melissa D'Oleo got the first bucket to fall for the Monarchs, draining a triple. Rebecca McGaughnea added two points to Methodist's total, but Bridgewater spouted off a 7–0 run in return. With her team trailing by four, D'Oleo canned another three–pointer to pull within one. The Eagles scored the next five points, but the Monarchs found Serenity Webb behind the arc on the final possession of the period, and her shot just before the buzzer fell in for another three points.
• Methodist was held scoreless for the first four minutes of the second quarter as Bridgewater scored seven points to extend its lead to 10 (21–11). The Monarchs clawed back, and pulled within three points after a four–point play by freshman Kayleen Grullon — who made a triple and the free throw after drawing a foul. Bridgewater outscored Methodist 8–0 over the final three minutes and 30 seconds of the half.
• Tori Coleman and D'Oleo both hit from deep as Methodist created an 8–2 run out of the break, but the Eagles scored the next nine points while the Monarchs missed their next six shots from the field. D'Oleo momentarily halted the Bridgewater run, earning a trip to the charity stripe and making both attempts, but the Eagles went right back to work, increasing their advantage to 19 points before Alyssa Shazer knocked down a three–pointer to close out the third quarter.
• Bridgwater saw its lead grow to as much as a 26–point margin, but three–pointers by Grullon and D'Oleo helped the Monarchs put together the final 10 points of the fourth quarter.

MORE TO IT

• The Monarchs scored more times from beyond the arc than they did from inside it, scoring just eight times by way of the two–pointer. Conversely, the Eagles scored 44 points in the paint.
• Melissa D'Oleo had an impressive offensive performance, recording a career–high 18 points that were largely due to a career–high four makes from deep.
• Bridgewater continued to find ways to score efficiently, shooting 48.2% for the contest and over 50% in the second and fourth quarters.

UP NEXT
The Monarchs will be back in Virginia this weekend for the TowneBank Tipoff Classic hosted by Virginia Wesleyan University. Methodist takes on the University of Mary Washington on Saturday at 5 p.m. before facing the host Marlins on Sunday.