Redding, Calif. – The Red Hawks fall to Cal Maritime in a nail biter of a conference opener Saturday night.  The Red Hawks led by as many as nine in the fourth quarter but were plagued with 26 turnovers in a back and forth game that went right down to the final seconds.

        Despite a 10-point deficit at the half, SU came out of the locker room with their heads held high and played with a vengeance in the third. Alex Cooper scored 8 of her 10 points in the third and was a huge spark to ignite the SU comeback. Lexi Thompson was instrumental for the Red Hawks all night long, scoring a team high 16 points in her 29 minutes of the Simpson bench. SU scored 14 more points in the paint than the Keelhaulers in the third, and it was that aggressive fast-paced play that put them on top by three points heading into the fourth.

                Simpson would expand the lead to nine points early in the fourth quarter, but Maritime was far from finished. The Red Hawks were unable to get the defensive stops they were able to get in the third and would end the game trailing by four, falling to the Keelhaulers 60-56.

                The Red Hawks look to pick up their first conference win Arizona next week. SU will travel to Mesa to take on Benedictine University at 5:30 on January 9^th, followed by a game against Embry-Riddle in Prescott on January 11^th.