The Malone University women's basketball team lost a GLIAC contest on the road Thursday night to Ferris State University (MI) by the score of 55-47.
 
With the loss, the Pioneers fell to 5-6 overall and to 3-4 in the GLIAC while the Bulldogs improved to 7-3 overall and to 5-2 in GLIAC play.
 
In the first half, just past the midway point of the stanza, the hosts held a 14-7 lead before going on an 8-2 run to grab what would be its largest lead of the game at 13 points, with the score at 22-9 with 3:55 left in the half. But Malone responded by scoring the final eight points of the period to cut the FSU lead to just 22-17 at the intermission.
 
In the final 20 minutes, Malone would stay right with the Bulldogs as the hosts held minimal leads for most of the period including when the Pioneers trimmed the FSU lead to just one point, at 34-33, with 11:54 left. Although Malone could not quite take the lead, the Pioneers were down by just two points with only 1:54 left in the contest after guard Rachel Goddard nailed one of her four three-point baskets in the game. But the hosts would go on to outscore Malone 7-1 in that final stretch to post the eight-point 55-47 win.
 
Leading the way for Malone was Goddard who tossed in a team-best 16 points, including a solid four-of-seven effort from three-point range. Guard Selana Reale also hit double figures with 12 points as she tallied the other two three-point baskets for the squad. Reale also dished out a team-high seven assists while also grabbing five rebounds.
 
In addition, guard Alahna Singleton and forward Bri Libertore chipped in with six points apiece. Libertore also pulled down seven rebounds while forward Lindsy Snyder grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
 
For Ferris State, Katie Mavis paced the team with 13 points while Christina Branch and Hannah Hoffman tallied a team-best six rebounds each.
 
Malone will compete its weekend swing in Michigan by competing at GLIAC opponent Grand Valley State University (MI) (8-3, 5-2) on Saturday in a 1:00 p.m. contest.