MARSHALL, Texas — The Arkansas Baptist College women's basketball team came up just short in its season opener Thursday night, falling 65-61 to Wiley University at Alumni Gymnasium.
The Buffaloes battled throughout the contest and carried a 33-28 lead into halftime, but Wiley rallied in the second half to secure the four-point victory. Arkansas Baptist was outscored 18-14 in the third quarter and 19-14 in the fourth as the home team completed the comeback.
Arkansas Baptist showed its ability to compete on the road, building a halftime advantage behind contributions from multiple players. However, shooting struggles proved costly down the stretch. The Buffaloes finished 21-of-66 from the field (31.8 percent) and connected on three of 20 attempts from beyond the arc (15 percent).
Ny'Asia Jackson led Arkansas Baptist with 12 points, knocking down one three-pointer and converting seven of eight free-throw attempts. Ja'Mya Gooch added 10 points, including two three-pointers, while Zaccheya Jackson, Ta'Mya Hughes and Dihlynn Mitchell each contributed eight points.
Mariyah Moss provided a strong presence on the glass, recording a team-high 12 rebounds to go with eight points. Kaniya Moore also made an impact inside, collecting nine rebounds and scoring five points. Gooch finished with nine rebounds as Arkansas Baptist totaled 55 rebounds for the game.
Despite the loss, the Buffaloes created opportunities through their defensive pressure, recording 13 steals and scoring 20 points off turnovers. Arkansas Baptist also received 32 points from its bench, highlighting the contributions of its reserves.
Wiley, meanwhile, shot 40.9 percent from the field and received a game-high 16 points from Malikiya Thomas. Asia Foster added 13 points, while Emilee Proctor finished with 11 and Alexandra Brooks contributed 10.
Arkansas Baptist's early-season challenge will be turning its strong rebounding and defensive activity into more efficient offensive production, particularly from the perimeter and at the free-throw line. The Buffaloes will look to build on the competitive effort as they continue their 2026-27 campaign.
