DAYTONA BEACH, FL (December 29, 2022) – Despite a solid defensive performance that held their opponents to just 18.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc, the King's College women's basketball team fell, 57-48, in their first game in the Florida Sunshine Shootout against North Central University (MN). The Monarchs fall to 1-10 overall, while the Rams improve to 8-4 for the season.
 
King's (1-10) jumped out to an early 5-0 lead behind a three from Kiersten Krouse and a jumper from Gianna Dickson with 5:42 left in the opening period before North Central (8-4) got on the board just under a minute later. The Monarchs defense would limit the Rams to single digits in the opening quarter as King's led, 14-9, at the end of the first.
 
The Monarchs would lead by as much as eight points, 21-13, off a layup from Cailin Wilson with 7:53 left in the half before the Rams staged their comeback effort to claim their first lead of the game, 26-25, at the halftime break.
 
The two teams traded baskets out of the locker rooms before North Central claimed a six-point advantage, 41-35, heading into the final stanza. The Rams tallied the first seven points of the fourth to hold a double-digit edge over the Monarchs, but King's would climb back within eight, 54-46, with 3:36 remaining behind a jumper from Caileigh Costello. Neither team found a rhythm down the stretch as the Monarchs would fall, 57-48, in their opening game of their trip to the Florida Sunshine Shootout on Thursday afternoon.
 
Wilson led King's off the bench with 11 points, connecting on 4-of-7 from the floor and 3-of-4 from three, while adding three rebounds. Kathy Shepherd tallied eight points with five boards and a block, while Sarah Heiskell-Mann collected a team-high seven rebounds with five assists and a steal. Additionally, Kiersten Krouse dished out a team-leading six assists and totaled a team-high two steals while grabbing four boards.
 
Four totaled double figures in the win for the Rams, including a game-high 12 points from both Caitlyn Ryan and Mia Mabang, while Kaitlyn VanderPloeg posted a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds.
 
The Monarchs defense limited North Central to 35.4 percent (23-65) from the floor, including 18.5 percent (5-27) from beyond the arc. The defensive effort also forced 17 Rams turnovers, while their offense dished out 14 assists on 20 made field goals. Inside the box score, King's edge North Central in points off the bench, 30-11.
 
King's will be back in action as they wrap up their play in the Florida Sunshine Shootout tomorrow afternoon, December 30. The Monarchs will face Husson University at 1 p.m. in the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida.