AUSTIN, Texas - The Concordia Women's basketball team was unable to come-from-behind late as they fell to Louisiana College 71-61 on Monday night.

The Tornados (9-6, 2-4 ASC) shot 88.9 percent from the free-throw line, including Mercedes Ellison going a perfect 12-12 on her way to a team-leading 20 points. But CTX struggled from the field all night shooting 28.8% from the field and only made three three-pointers for the game. The Tornados forced 13 steals as a team, including Emily Cullers tallying six steals, as the Wildcats (5-7, 4-3 ASC) committed 20 turnovers.

In the first quarter, Cullers started the scoring for CTX with a three from downtown, but the Tigers went on an 11-3 run to take an 11-6 lead with 3:56 left. Ellison scored the five points including a layup plus the foul, but the Tornados trailed 16-11 after one quarter. CTX began the second quarter on a 8-2 capped by a Raven Cato layup to regain the lead at 19-18 with 5:32 left in the quarter. The quarter alone had seven lead changes including six occurring in the final 2:12, but Ellison knocked two free-throws to give the Tornados a 29-28 lead at the half.

The second half started slow for CTX as they fell behind 40-33 with 5:28 left in the third quarter after a 12-4 run by LC. But the Tornados would not go down easily, rallying with a 12-2 after another Cullers three to give them a 45-42 lead as they headed to the fourth quarter. The Wildcats regained the lead in the fourth quarter with a 11-1 run as the Tornados were unable to find the bottom of the net making one shot from the field in the quarter. Down 58-50 with 4:14 left in the quarter, CTX would cut the deficit to three after two Jaela Dejean free-throws with 1:40 left. The Wildcats were too much though, closing the quarter on a 11-4 run as the Tornados lost 71-61.

CTX will return home to Concordia Fieldhouse after a three-game road that included two overtime games. They will face conference foe Mary-Hardin Baylor on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. looking for their first win of the new year.