NEW ORLEANS – The Louisiana Christian University women's basketball team got double-doubles from both Carlea Owens and Kylei Leblanc, but it wasn't enough in a 79-74 loss to the Southern University New Orleans Knights to open the 2025-26 season Tuesday night at The Castle.
 
The Wildcats (0-1) led briefly with Owens scoring the game and season's first points, and then, after SUNO (1-0) tied it at 2-2, Leblanc put LCU back in front at 4-2. That would be the final lead for the orange and blue on the evening as the Knights went on a 9-0 run afterwards and led the rest of the way.
 
SUNO led by as much as 12, 36-24, in the second quarter, but the Wildcats would cut that deficit in half by the break as the two teams went to the locker room with the Knights up 42-36.
 
LCU would trail by 12 again, 65-53, after the opening possession of the fourth quarter, but used a 13-3 run to get within two points at 68-66 with 5:22 left as Kaitlyn Antilley converted a free throw to complete a three-point play.
 
However, the Knights answered each LCU point the rest of the way, pushing their lead back up to seven points with 20 seconds left to secure the result.
 
Owens hit nine of her 14 shot attempts on the night to finish with a game-high 21 points while also having the most rebounds by any player in the game with 13. She also blocked two shots, came up with a pair of steals, and had an assist.
 
Leblanc was eight-of-16 from the field on her way to 18 points with 11 rebounds for a double-double of her own. She also had a pair of steals, rejected a SUNO shot, and dished out an assist.
 
Amiyah Simpkins came off the bench to score 16 points, grab seven rebounds, and dished out five assists while also getting a steal and a blocked shot.
 
Kiara Perry also came off the bench and ended up as the game's top assist-giver, dropping seven dimes to her teammates while also securing six assists and came up with a steal.
 
LCU out-shot SUNO 46 percent to 36.5 percent and had more free throws made than the Knights, 14-8. However, turnovers proved fatal as 24 Wildcat miscues turned into 25 points for the Knights while SUNO committed 11 mistakes which turned into 14 LCU points. SUNO also hit nine three-point field goals compared to two for the Wildcats.
 
The Wildcats look to rebound on Saturday in Conway, Ark. When they take on Central Baptist. Tip-off of Saturday's contest against the Mustangs (0-2) is set for 2 p.m. at A.R. Reddin Fieldhouse.