PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana Christian University women's basketball team got out to a quick seven-point lead, but a slow second half doomed the Wildcats in a 67-53 loss to the Dillard Bleu Devils Tuesday night at Gene Rushing Court at H.O. West Fieldhouse.
 
Louisiana Christian (1-5) was locked in early, jumping out to an 11-4 lead on a Kiara Perry three-pointer with 4:30 to go in the first quarter. Dillard (3-3) answered with a 10-2 run to finish the first quarter and take a 14-13 lead into the second.
 
Trailing 18-15 in the second period, the Wildcats scored seven-straight points to reclaim the lead at 22-18 as Perry came up with a steal and went the distance for a transition lay-up with 2:15 left before halftime. The Bleu Devils had the last say again, however, finishing the quarter with an 8-3 push to go to the halftime locker room with a 26-25 lead.
 
Amiyah Simpkins hit a three-pointer to open the scoring in the third quarter, putting LCU back in front to begin the second half, 28-26. Dillard again answered, scoring nine-straight points to open a seven-point lead at 35-28.
 
The Wildcats scored the next four points off of jumpers by Perry and Kylei Leblanc to get back within three at 35-32 with just less than six minutes left in the third. LCU got back within two with 3:30 left as Jakiya Thompson hit a jump shot to make it 38-36 Bleu Devils.
 
But that's where Dillard pulled away, going on a 12-0 run to take the first double-digit lead of the game at 50-36 before Perry hit another three-pointer to cap the scoring in the quarter, giving Dillard a 50-39 lead heading to the final 10 minutes of play.
 
Dillard expanded the lead to 17 points early in the fourth, going up 60-43 with 7:15 left in the contest. LCU would get the deficit down to 11 points on a pair of Carlea Owens free throws with 5:04 remaining but got no closer the rest of the way.
 
Perry led the way with 15 points, her first double-digit scoring day of the season. She was five-of-nine from the field and two-of-five from beyond the three-point arc. She also grabbed six rebounds, came up with four steals, and had three assists.
 
Owens and Leblanc both finished with nine points.
 
Simpkins had five points while grabbing seven rebounds, dishing out six assists, and getting three steals, leading the team in both of the latter two categories.
 
LCU finished the game shooting 32.2 percent from the field and was 20 percent from three-point range. Dillard hit 41.5 percent from the field, and that was without the benefit of a three-pointer as the Blue Devils hit none of their 11 shots from deep in the contest.
 
The Wildcats now head into Red River Athletic Conference play for the first time this season next Tuesday as LSU Alexandria makes the trip across the Red River into Pineville for the Red River Rivalry game. Tip-off of Tuesday's contest against the Generals (1-4, 0-0 RRAC) is set for 5:30 p.m. at Gene Rushing Court at H.O. West Fieldhouse.