MCKENZIE, Tenn.- The Blue Raider women's basketball team fell to No. 3 Bethel 65-62 in Crisp Arena Saturday afternoon. 

Meadow Tisdale led the LWU offense with 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field. Saniyah Shelton added 15 of her own, knocking down 7-of-8 free throw attempts. Amelia Hodges rounded out the double-figure scoring with 11 points, knocking down 3-of-6 from behind the three point line.

Taylor Guess opened up the scoring at 9:33 to spark a 9-0 run for the Blue Raiders to lead 9-0 with 6:44 to play. Bethel answered with an 8-0 run of its own from 6:28 to 4:36 to cut the Blue Raider lead to 9-8. At 3:12 Hodges knocked down a three on an assist from Guess to increase the lead to 12-8. The Wildcats went on a 5-0 run to take a 13-12 lead at the 2:08 mark. Lindsey Wilson and Bethel both added three points apiece to the score for LWU to trail 16-15 headed into the second quarter.

Shelton converted on a layup at 9:48 to open the quarter and start a 6-0 run to extend the Blue Raider lead to 21-16 with 7:22 to play in the first half. Bethell answered with a 6-0 run of its own to take a 22-21 lead at 4:57. Both teams traded buckets with the Blue Raiders pulling away with 0:21 on the clock after Tisdale finished in the paint to edge Lindsey Wilson ahead 34-30 headed into the halftime locker room. 

Tisdale opened the second half scoring at 8:44 on a layup, leading to a 19-4 run that lasted from 8:51 to 3:59 pushing Lindsey Wilson ahead 53-36. Bethel answered back with an 11-2 run of its own starting at 3:48 after Wildcat Adalyn Koelling knocked down a free throw to cut the Blue Raider lead to 55-47 with 0:52 left in the third quarter. Both teams went scoreless in the last 52 seconds to give LWU a 55-47 advantage headed into the final ten minutes of action. 

Hodges knocked down a jumper with 9:37 to play in the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 57-47. Bethel went on a 17-5 run that started at 8:46 and lasted until 0:14 to take a 64-61 lead, holding the Blue Raiders to just one point the last 5:49 of the game. Lindsey Wilson fell 65-62 to Bethel.

Women's hoops will be back in action on Thursday at 5:30 P.M. CT in Biggers Sports Center to face the (RV) Tigers of Georgetown (Ky.).