The Lady Rangers next face Arkansas-Monticello on the road.

By Logan Jones

Assist. Sports Editor

The Lady Ranger basketball team had a rough week as they lost two key Great American Conference matchups against Harding and Arkansas Tech.

The Lady Rangers took on the Harding Bison on Thursday, losing 71-57.

Northwestern got off to a slow start, scoring only nine points in the first quarter.

Despite resurging in the next three quarters, the girls could not claw their way back into the game.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Ranger’s shooting percentage was a mere 32 percent.

Even with double-digit performances by sophomore Bailey Brown, with 17 points, and redshirt junior Kalea King, with 10, defense was the key for Harding as six Bison had five or more rebounds in the game.

The Lady Rangers looked to bounce back on Saturday when they took on Golden Suns of Arkansas Tech.

Unfortunately, the girls fell, 75-54.

Just like their last game, the Lady Rangers struggled to score in the first half, but so did Arkansas Tech.

Heading into halftime, the Golden Suns led by only three points, 24-21.

When the second half began, Arkansas Tech found their groove, going on a 12-2 run.

Despite their best efforts, the red and black could never catch up to the Golden Suns.

The Arkansas Tech lead would never fall below 10 points throughout the entire fourth quarter.

Ultimately, the Golden Suns would take the match, 75-54.

Ranger standouts include Brown and Senior Bailey Forell, as each of them put up 13 points.

The Lady Rangers will look to rebound in their next outing when they will travel to Monticello, Arkansas to take on the Blossoms.

Game time is set for 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 31.