FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.--Despite a season-high 20 points from Dyanna Prater and five triples from Emily Maerz, the Hood College women's basketball team (1-1) lost to the North Carolina Wesleyan College Battling Bishops (1-2), 63-59, at the Methodist University Turkey Shootout at the Riddle Center Saturday evening.

Prater knocked down 8-of-15 from the floor and Maerz drilled 5-of-6 from distance as the senior tandem combined for 37 of Hood's 59 points on the night. Shakara Head ripped down a team-high 10 rebounds and blocked three shots in addition to scoring seven points in the losing effort.

The Bishops overcame a dismal 28.6 percent shooting performance from the field, which included an 0-for-11 effort from behind the arc, with a dominating performance on the glass, hauling in 33 offensive rebounds and finished with a 69-39 advantage on the boards.

In the opening stanza, the lead changed hands seven times and the score was tied six times, the last at the 4:19 mark when Alexis Briscoe made 1-of-2 from the foul line to knot the score at 21-21. The Bishops outscored Hood 8-3 the rest of the way and took a 29-24 lead into the locker room.

The N.C. Wesleyan advantage swelled to 10 in the first 2:52 but the Blazers responded with a 7-0 run to make it a one-possession game with 15:50 left. Hood hung around and eventually reclaimed the lead with six minutes to play in regulation on a layup by Rachel Wiley. Hood maintained the upperhand until the Bishops used a pair of NeTaih Davis free throws to snap a 57-57 tie and went up 59-57 with exactly one minute showing on the clock.

Hood had two chances to net the game-tying bucket but layups by Wiley and Maerz wouldn't fall and the Bishops forced a Blazer turnover. Maerz fouled Samantha Urquhart who went to the stripe and knocked down both free throws to make it a four-point game with 20 seconds left.

After a Wesleyan timeout, Maerz buried a jumper to cut the deficit in half with 10 ticks to go. Hood called timeout and on the ensuing inbounds play, Hood fouled Urquhart again. This time she made 1-of-2 to leave the door open for Hood. The Blazers were unable to hang on to the ball however and were forced to foul again. This time it was Kourtney Salisbury's turn to head to the foul line and she made 1-of-2 as well which proved to be the final margin. Briscoe rebounded Salisbury's miss on the second shot but Hood was unable to get a shot off in the closing seconds.

Wiley finished with six points and six boards for the Blazers while Briscoe chipped in four points and a pair of rebounds.

The Bishops were led by Shanice Goree who contributed 13 points off the bench.

Hood will next take on the host Methodist Monarchs at 1 p.m. Sunday.