MORRIS, Minn. – The Macalester College women's basketball team began the 2019-20 season with a loss at UM-Morris, 83-69 Tuesday night at the Cougar Sports Center. The game was the Scots' first under new head coach Katie Kollar.

UM-Morris scored the final five points of a competitive first quarter to take an 18-11 lead. The Cougars used a 12-2 run in the second quarter to increase their advantage to 35-16 with 7:23 left in the half. Three points from first year center Emma LaFrenz (Edina, Minn./Edina) and two points apiece from junior guard Katie Sowerby (Mill Valley, Calif./Tamalpais) and sophomore guard Celine Sabbagh (Eau Claire, Wis./Regis) helped to cut the deficit to 14, 38-24 at the break.

In the third quarter, a three-pointer by first year guard Solana Cushing (Minneapolis, Minn./South) brought the Scots to within 12, 45-33 with 5:08 on the clock. But UM-Morris was able to push its lead back to as many as 20 points in the quarter.

Nine straight points in the fourth quarter, including five from senior guard Holly Hull (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest), pulled the Scots to within 14, 69-55 with 5:28 remaining. After the Cougars increased their lead to 79-57, Macalester closed out the game on a 12-4 run. The Scots made just 2-of-16 from three-point range for the game compared to 9-of-18 for the Cougars.

Sabbagh turned in her best game as a Scot, scoring a career-high 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field. Sowerby also notched career bests with 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists. LaFrenz registered nine points and seven boards in her first collegiate game, with Cushing adding eight points and four rebounds in her debut. Junior guard Justine Barraza (Burbank, Calif./Harvard-Westlake) also scored eight points. UM-Morris was led by Lexus Eagle Chasing with 21 points.

Macalester returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 16 with a non-conference game at Bethany Lutheran. The opening tip is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. in Mankato, Minn.