Box Score (Findlay, Ohio) – The Missouri S&T Lady Miners were never able to find its rhythm after a weeklong break falling at Findlay 65-53 on Thursday night falling from the ranks of the unbeaten.

The Oilers (8-3) opened the game on a 13-2 run and never looked back as their pressure defense didn't allow the Lady Miners (8-1) to settle into a rhythm.

“They came out with a lot more fire and determination than we did,” head coach Alan Eads said. “They were physical with us early and we didn't respond to that very well. We didn't shoot the ball very well in the first half and defensively we give up nine points on three's early in the game which we talked about but were just late getting through screens enabling them to get good looks which they knocked down.”

S&T worked the deficit down to seven points at the 12:32 mark of the opening half on a pair of free throws by Julie Meyer (Marthasville, Mo./St. Francis Borgia).

That would be the closest the Lady Miners got the rest of the half as Findlay broke the game open with nine straight to take a 27-11 lead more than three minutes later.

S&T got to within 27-15 on back-to-back baskets by Senait McLeod (Miami, Fla./Coral Reef) but a Karli Beasley three pushed the lead back to 15 points with less than seven minutes to play in the stanza. That lead eventually grew to 20 on a layup by Lacey Kessler with less than four minutes to go.

Toni Knar (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein) cut it to 17 on a three on the next possession and that would be the score at the break as neither side scored the rest of the way.

The Oilers shot 46 percent (13-for-28) from the field and were 5-of-11 from behind the arc. Kayla Brown and Clare Aubry had eight apiece to lead Findlay.

The Lady Miners were just 6-for-20 (30 percent) from the field but were 2-of-3 from downtown and 6-for-6 at the foul line. Knar had five points while Meyer and McLeod had four each.

S&T began to cut into the lead early in the second half eventually getting to within 48-42 at the 10:55 mark on a three from Katelyn Heil (Dexter, Mo./Dexter). The Lady Miners had a chance to get even closer about a minute later with a fast break opportunity but Kyesha Hall (Dodson, La./)'s pass intended for Karli Sample (St. Joseph, Mo./Benton) was stolen by Kaitlyn Nelson.

On the ensuing possession Kaleigh Kenny got a three to roll home from the top of the key extending the lead back to nine and sparked a 7-0 run.

Heil hit her third triple of the half to make it a 10 point game sparking a 7-1 run for S&T bringing them within 56-49 with less than five to play.

The Oilers made four straight free throws and pulled away down the stretch as S&T went cold from the floor over the final five minutes.

The Lady Miners shot the ball better in the second half shooting 41 percent to finish the contest shooting 36.5 percent (19-for-52). Hailee Parks (Sullivan, Mo./Sullivan) had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Heil added 10 as well while Kemp had nine. Meyer and Knar had eight apiece.

Findlay shot just 31 percent in the second half but still finished the game shooting 39 percent. Brown had 13 while Aubry added 12.

S&T will try and bounce back on Friday afternoon against Northwood (Mich.) beginning at 12 p.m. (CST) at Findlay.