BOX SCORE PINEVILLE, La. -- The Concordia Texas women's basketball team dropped a heartbreaking 71-69 decision Monday night at Louisiana College despite overcoming an early 17-point deficit.

Jaela Dejean matched her season best with a game-high 26 points while Isis Johnson added 18 to lead Concordia (7-4, 0-2 American Southwest Conference) . Dejean grabbed a CTX career-high six rebounds while dishing out five assists. Johnson led the Tornados with nine boards.

CTX opened a wild fourth quarter on a 10-0 rally to take the lead at 60-59 just inside the 6:00 mark. It was the Tornados' first lead since the 8:46 mark of the first quarter, when they held a 4-2 advantage. 

The Wildcats (4-7, 3-3 ASC) quickly regained the lead and would remain in front the rest of the game, although Concordia was within a possession nearly the entire time. 

The Tornados were able to draw back within a point with just over a minute left in the contest, but Louisiana College was able to use a 3-0 run to put the effectively put the game away with 34 seconds left.

Later, the Wildcats' RyDeja McQuarn hit the first of two free throws with nine seconds remaining to give her squad a four-point lead. Dejean would cut that advantage to two with a lay-up at the other end as time expired.
 
LC used a huge first quarter to take a 25-8 lead after the game's opening period, but Concordia would claw back with a 14-3 run late in the second quarter to draw within three points with 1:10 remaining in the half. Wildcat Kortney Kling hit a layup moments later to put the game at 37-32, where it would remain at halftime.

Louisiana College would string together a 6-0 spurt to close the third quarter,to take a 59-50 advantage into the game's final 10 minutes. 

?The Tornados were shutout from 3-point range for the first time all season, finishing 0-for-12 from beyond the arc.

Concordia returns home Thursday, Jan. 7 for a battle with No. 9/13 UT Tyler. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. at the Concordia Fieldhouse.