Lady Royals Fall at Columbia, 72–64

The Lady Royals dropped a road conference matchup Wednesday evening, falling to Columbia (S.C.) 72–64 after a tightly contested first half gave way to a strong third quarter by the host side.

Johnson and Columbia battled evenly through the opening two quarters, with the teams tied 12–12 after the first period and 30–30 at halftime. Columbia gained separation in the third quarter, outscoring the Lady Royals 24–15, and held off a late push in the fourth to secure the win.

Emery Tollett led the Lady Royals with 18 points and 11 rebounds, recording a double-double while also adding four steals and three assists. Megan Biliter provided a major spark off the bench, finishing with 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting and eight rebounds. Olivia Bolduc added 14 points, five assists, and five steals in an all-around effort.

As a team, the Lady Royals collected 35 rebounds and shot 90 percent from the free-throw line, but turnovers and Columbia's 50 percent shooting from the field proved difficult to overcome.

Johnson will look to bounce back quickly, returning to action on February 14 at Milligan.