Langhorne, PA – Cairn University women's basketball opened their 2015-16 season with a 60-45 loss to Wilson College on Saturday afternoon. Amie Eppolito (Levittown, PA) led the team with 19 points but was followed closely by newcomer Aigner Bookard (Philadelphia, PA) with 17 points.
 
The Highlanders started out the game in the first quarter with a 6-4 lead and a tie score at 8-8. However, Wilson took the lead 15-8 by the end of the quarter for a seven point lead. The lead stayed at seven for a majority of the second quarter but the Phoenix ended the first half with an 11-point lead, 29-18.
 
Eppolito went 7-27 overall and 3-15 from the three-point line with two assists and five turnovers. Bookard's percentage was a little better as she went 6-21 from the field and 5-6 from the free throw line. Bookard also hauled in six rebounds and had four steals.
 
The Phoenix were led by Lindsey Purvis with 22 points but she was closely followed by Jordyn Day with 21 points. Morgan Wonders was also an impact player for the Phoenix with her 12 points. Both Purvis and Wonders finished with double-doubles as Purvis had 14 rebounds and Wonders 13. Those three players combined for 55 of Wilson's 60 points.
 
Cairn gained ground on Wilson in the third quarter and shortened the lead to just four points at the 2:31 mark. Wilson stretched that lead back out to 10 by the end of the quarter, though, to lead 47-37 with 10 minutes to play.
 
Again Cairn brought lead down to four points in the fourth quarter, as they scored the first six points of the final quarter. The Highlanders just couldn't climb all the way back and the Phoenix finished out the game with a 15 point lead; their largest of the game.
 
Just three other players scored points for the Highlanders in the game: Devon Rink (Perkasie, PA) (4), Kristen Castner (Westchester, NY) (3), and Payton Emerick (Hyndman, PA) (2). Cairn committed 17 total fouls in the game and was 3-20 from three-point range.
 
The Highlanders drop to 0-1 to start the new season, while Wilson improved to 1-0 with the win. Cairn will next host Penn State Hazleton on Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 6 p.m.