LUBBOCK, Texas — The St. Mary's University Women's Basketball team suffered its first loss in Lone Star Conference play, moving to 2-1 with a 71-43 setback at No. 7 Lubbock Christian on Thursday evening.
 
The defensive pressure of the Lady Chaps (10-1, 4-1) stymied the Rattlers (6-3, 2-1) all evening as StMU shot a season-low 26.8 percent from the field. Despite the pressure, StMU turned the ball over a season-low 13 times, and three of those were shot clock violations in the second quarter.
 
Freshman Christin Callens (Houston) kept her streak of double-figure scoring alive, tying for the game lead with 10 points. She made all four of her free throw attempts and struggled with foul trouble, playing 24 minutes with four fouls.
 
Sophomore guard Andrea Montesinos (Valencia, Spain) led the team with four rebounds, and she and Callens each had two assists. Junior Imani Ivery (Houston) recorded two of the team's six steals and she blocked the only shot of the game for the Gold and Blue.
 
The Rattlers scored the game's first seven points, but points were at a premium over the final 7:19 as the two teams managed only 16 combined points the rest of the first quarter. Callens and freshman Lena Newby (Cibolo, Texas) each scored four, and senior Stina Svilberg (Tallinn, Estonia) added the other three as StMU trailed 12-11 after one period.
 
The Lady Chaps began to exert their dominance in the second quarter, outscoring the Rattlers 19-to-7 and winning each of the next two quarters for the team's 13th consecutive victory over StMU in Lubbock. 
 
St. Mary's plays at Midwestern State on Sunday at 2 p.m. and closes out the 2024 calendar year in an exhibition at Tarleton State on Dec. 21. The Mustangs are in the midst of a nine-day break from game action, last playing at UT Tyler on Dec. 6.