HESSTON, Kan. — The Hesston College women's basketball team held the lead for much of Thursday night's matchup against York University but struggled offensively down the stretch, falling 54-50 on Oct. 29.

Hesston opened the game with a strong defensive effort, holding York to just 10 first-quarter points. After trailing 5-2 early, Destiny Jackson knocked down a three-pointer to give the Larks a 7-5 advantage. Sharmonique Williams added five first-quarter points, helping Hesston take a 15-10 lead into the second period.

Krysten Carter opened the second quarter with a three-pointer to extend Hesston's lead to eight, its largest of the night. York responded with an 13-0 run to take a 23-18 advantage midway through the quarter. The Larks answered with a three-pointer from Carter and a jumper from Keira Pineda to tie the game at 23. Later, Pineda connected from beyond the arc and Jackson added a layup to send Hesston into halftime leading 30-27.

The teams continued trading momentum in the third quarter. Carter hit another three-pointer, and Gresa Arapi followed with a layup to push Hesston's lead to 37-31. York battled back to take a 38-37 lead before Jackson answered with a three-pointer. Anna Mcintire added a basket off an offensive rebound, helping the Larks carry a narrow 42-40 advantage into the fourth.

Hesston extended its lead to 47-42 early in the final quarter following a three-pointer from Williams, but York responded with five straight points to tie the game at 47 with 5:17 remaining. The Panthers then took the lead on a Sylvia Valentino jumper and extended their advantage to 54-47 with 1:36 left. Jackson connected on a three-pointer with 29 seconds remaining to bring Hesston within four, but the Larks could not complete the comeback.

Jackson led Hesston with 11 points, seven rebounds and two assists. Carter added 10 points, connecting on three of four three-point attempts, while Williams contributed eight points and three steals off the bench.

Pineda finished with seven points, four steals and a block. Mcintire led the Larks on the glass with 12 rebounds, including seven offensive boards, while adding four points.

Hesston shot 28.8% from the field and 33.3% from three-point range. The Larks held York to 34.3% shooting but were outscored 14-8 in the fourth quarter, shooting just 20% over the final 10 minutes.

The loss drops Hesston to 2-1 on the season.

The Larks return to action Saturday, Oct. 31, when they travel to Overland Park, Kan., to face Kansas Christian College at 1 p.m.