ST. PAUL, Minn.- The Macalester College women's basketball team lost to the University of St. Thomas, ranked tenth nationally, 70-42. The Scots are now 0-2 against the Tommies this season and 7-13 overall.
 
The Scots stayed close with the Tommies through the first quarter as it ended 11-7 in favor of St. Thomas. Senior guard Vivi Gregorich (Boulder, Colo./Boulder) led Macalester off with three points in the first quarter as she made a layup and the free-throw to follow in the sixth minute. Macalester was unable to keep up with the Tommies for the remainder of the half, as St. Thomas outscored the Scots 11-4 in the second quarter. The half ended 15-35, with Macalester shooting just 20 percent from the field.
 
Macalester came out on the offensive after halftime and was able to trade baskets with the ranked Tommies as each teamed scored 16 points in the quarter. Gregorich continued to lead the Scots, scoring eight on the night. The Tommies stopped senior center Regan Fruh (Helena, Mont./ Helena), and leading scorer for the Scots with just two points. However, in the fourth quarter, the score 31-51, first year guard Justine Barraza (Burbank, Calif./Harvard-Westlake) scored started the Scots of with a three-pointer in the ninth minute. Barraza went on to score five more points, tying Gregorich for lead scorer with eight points and two assists.
 
Despite Macalster's improvement in their offense, shooting 43.7 percent in the second half, the Scots could not keep up with the Tommies. First years Katie Sowerby (Mill Valley, Calif./Tamalpais), Kayla Togneri (Ventura, Calif./Ventura) and Katherine Podoll (San Geronimo, Calif./Sir Francis Drake) all had two steals on the night, with Togneri also contributing six points from the bench.
 
The Tommies were led by their junior center Hannah Spaulding who scored 22 points.
 
The Scots return to action away against the Carleton College on Wed., Feb. 3 in Northfield, Minn. at 3:00 p.m.