BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Birmingham-Southern women's basketball team dropped their fourth straight conference game and now sit tied for fifth and two games back of a hosting spot for the SAA quarterfinal round.

The Panthers came out shooting lights out in the first quarter, and accumulating a double-digit lead, leading by as much as 14. The Lynx finished the last four minutes of the second quarter on a 14-3 run to trail by just one at half. A back-and-forth game continued into the third quarter. Rhodes began to pull away at the end of the quarter leading by eight as the teams entered the fourth quarter. BSC could not overcome the deficit and feel by a score of 92-85. The Panthers shot 52-percent from the charity stripe, hindering their chances of winning the game. 

Birmingham-Southern was led by Montana Harris who scored 17 points, grabbed four boards, and recorded four assists. Lilly Hart scored in double-figures for the first time in five games after putting up 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field. Sameera Elmasri and Brooke Westhoelter combined for 25 points on the day.

Rhodes was led by a pair of 20-point scorers and a pair of student-athletes that recorded double-doubles. Avery Marsh and Alexys Mathangani scored 27 and 22 points respectively. Marsh added eight rebounds and six assists to her stat line while Mathangani added five rebounds and seven assists. Taylor Dupree and Giana Vlahakos each put up double-doubles with Dupree scoring 16 and grabbing 13 boards while Vlahakos scored 12 and grabbed 12 boards.

What it means
The Panthers currently sit at 5-7 in conference play and tied for fifth with Oglethorpe. The Panthers are now two games out of fourth place and a potential hosting spot with two games to play.

Records
Birmingham-Southern 12-10 (5-7 SAA), Rhodes 13-10 (9-3 SAA)

Up next
The Panthers will host Hendrix on Sunday, Feb. 12 at 1 p.m. They will honor their seniors before the game.