COLUMBIA, SC. |    The Truett McConnell women's basketball team traveled to Columbia, SC Tuesday evening to take on Allen University Yellow Jackets as their first game back from winter break. The lady bears fell short to the AAC rival with a 45-61 loss starting the new year. The bears are now 2-11 on the season and 0-9 on AAC play. 

Although three players for the lady bears scored in double digits, it was not enough to keep Allen's bench from dominating offensively, 24-8. Starting off slow, the lady bears finished the first quarter down as much as 11 points before turning things around with two and a half minutes remaining in the half from a big and one bucket by Bralise Reese. TMU finished the half with a 9-0 run against the yellow jackets and down by 9 leaving the score 30-21.

TMU outscore the yellow jackets in the 3rd quarter with solid play from Mikayla Miles contributing 6 points. Although the lady bears fought their way back from being down early in the game, Allen outscored the bears in the fourth quarter 17-9 to finish the game and seal a conference win. 

Head Coach Tiek Fields commented, "We played hard tonight. We went down early in the first quarter. The second quarter we made a few adjustments that got us back into the game in the third. In the fourth quarter we struggled shooting the ball and rebounding the ball on the defensive end. Now we have to change gears for Reinhardt on Thursday."

Sierra Kendall finished strong offensively for the lady bears with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Bralise Reese also contributed a 10 piece game. Mikayla Miles lead the bears on the offensive side with a 12 point game. 

The Lady Bears will continue AAC play this Thursday back home in the Bear Cave against St. Andrews University at 5:30 p.m.