MESA, Ari. - The women's basketball team dropped the last game of its Arizona road trip to Ben U, 67-56.
It was the battle of the Red Hawks in the desert as two high-powered squads clashed Saturday night.
Tessa Kinney opened the game up with a bang as she drilled a three-pointer to put Simpson on the board.
Simpson and Ben U would exchange buckets as no more than four points would separate these two teams in the first quarter of play.
Anna Marshall would hit a late layup in the paint to close out the first quarter and put Simpson within one, 15-16 after one quarter of play.
Rory Hetrick would begin the second quarter scoring when she nailed a jumper to grab Simpson the lead.
However, it would be all Ben U in the second quarter as they outscored Simpson 20-10.
Dyani Del Castillo would drain a late three-pointer to pull Simpson within eleven points as they headed into the half.
Rachel Gafford would hit a jumper to open the second half of play and trim the Ben U lead to nine points early in the third quarter.
Ben U would grow its largest lead of the game to 14 points midway through the third quarter.
But
Hannah Parsons would hit a three-pointer followed by back-to-back free throws by Gafford to trim the Redhawks lead to nine points.
Parsons would close out the quarter with two free throws to pull Simpson within eight points as they headed into the fourth quarter.
Simpson would come into striking distance late in the quarter when
Riley Wallen would hit a three-ball to pull Simpson within five points.
However, Ben U was able to hold off the late comeback to defeat Simpson 67-56.
Rory Hetrick would have quite the game with a team-high 19 points and seven rebounds.
Hannah Parsons would follow Hetrick with eight points to go along with three rebounds.
With the loss, Simpson sits 2 GB behind UAV and Ben U for first place in the Cal Pac standings.
Simpson will return home this Thursday to take on St. Katherine at 5:30 PM.
