ATLANTA - The Ladies were able to cut a 19-point, halftime to deficit to eight, but the Panthers used a hot-shooting first half to race out to a big lead and never look back as Centenary (2-8) fell to Birmingham-Southern (4-5) on the final day of the Holiday Inn Express and Suites Classic in Atlanta Tuesday, December 19.

The Ladies managed a season-low 13 turnovers; however, Birmingham-Southern countered with only 12 miscues. The Panthers broke out to a 19-point lead thanks to a torrid 16-for-30 (53.3 percent) shooting from the field - compared to 38.5 percent (10-for-26) for Centenary - in the first half.

Centenary trailed by as much as 23 in the third quarter and 66-47 going into the fourth, but the Ladies scored the first six points and went on an 11-2 run to pull within 10. Sophomore Deunya Small made a layup and freshman Bre Frierson responded with a jumper off a Panther turnover. Birmingham-Southern answered with a basket, but junior Savanah Doty made a free throw, classmate Jasmine Morris made a layup, and a Small jumper cut the deficit to 68-58.

Birmingham-Southern answered with a three pointer by Kaitlin Hogan with 3:32 left, but a personal and technical foul by the Panthers led to four-straight free throws to bring the deficit to single digits.

Freshman Darelzray Bellard hit a triple with 27 seconds left to cap the contest's scoring as the Ladies lost by eight.

Small narrowly missed the double-double with a Centenary season-best 15 rebounds - the second-most by a player in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference this season. She also chipped in eight points. Morris added 17 on 7-for-12 shooting, while Doty made three triples en route to 16 points.

Birmingham-Southern scored the first six points of the game and led by 10 after one quarter. A 15-2 run in the second quarter gave the Panthers a 39-20 advantage. Elizabeth Philpot hit a jumper and Hogan made a triple to push the lead to double-digits.

Philpot finished the game with 21 points, shooting 6-for-9 from the field - including both three-pointers and all seven free throws.

Leah Middleton made a pair from the line and Philpot completed an old-fashioned three to put the Panthers up 34-18. Doty ended a four-minute scoring drought with a jumper, but a fastbreak layup and a three-pointer by Misa Fujii pushed the deficit to 19.

Morris and Fujii traded baskets to end the first half. Fujii added 15 points in the game for the Panthers.

Centenary returns to action for its SCAC opener and last game of 2017 when it hosts Austin College on December 30. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.