SEATTLE, Wash. – The Harding women's basketball team fell to Central Washington 68-88 on Friday in the opening round of the Sodexo Classic. It was the first loss for the Lady Bisons as they fall to 2-1 on the season.

Central Washington held Harding to shooting 33.8 percent from the field (23-of-68). The Wildcats made 30-of-58 field goals (51.7 percent) and made 9-of-20 3 pointers (45.0 percent). CWU was almost perfect from the free throw line as they made 19-of-20 for a 95.0 percentage.

Harding missed their first eleven shots as Central Washington led 9-2 in the opening minutes. The Wildcats took advantage of the Lady Bisons poor shooting as they went on an 11-4 run midway through the first half taking a 30-16 lead. In the final five minutes of the first half Central Washington extended their lead on an 18-5 run and took a 48-21 lead into halftime.

The Wildcats continued to build on their lead in the second half as they made their first five shots to take a 59-28 lead. Harding tried to put together a rally but Central Washington wouldn't allow the Lady Bisons to get any closer than 17 points. The Wildcats went 4-of-4 from the free throw line in the final minutes to seal the victory.

The Lady Bisons were led by freshman guard Shana Holmes who made 7-of-13 from the field and finished with a season-high 17 points. Senior guard Sierra Rollins had 15 points and freshman forward Arielle Saunders had a season-high 12 points.

Central Washington (1-0) had four players that ended in double-figure scoring. Sophie Russell led the Wildcats with 18 points. Stacy Albrecht and Courtney Johnson each added 15, and Alex Dunn finished with 13.  Albrecht also grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds to capture a double-double.

Central Washington won the rebounding war grabbing 44 to Harding's 32. It was the first time this season the Lady Bisons have been outrebounded.

Harding will be back in action on Saturday as they take on the host team Seattle Pacific at 7 p.m., local time. Check hardingsports.com for live stats and free live video.