GLENDALE, ARIZ - The OUAZ women's basketball program has seen a lot of change over its short lifespan, and Tuesday night saw nine players make their Spirit debut. Despite having only four returners see action in the season's first game, the Spirit nearly took down its cross-town rival all while gelling together on the fly.

OUAZ outscored the Firestorm in each of the final three quarters, but could not fully erase an 11-point deficit, as ACU snagged a 62-56 victory Tuesday. The Spirit trailed 19-8 at the end of the first quarter, scoring only two points in the last 5:51 of the opening frame.

Natasa Radovic led the team in almost every category, finishing with 14 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks. Mickey Freeman finished with 14 points as well, adding nine rebounds, two blocks and an assist as well.

Despite finishing with 44 rebounds as a team, the Spirit did not grab an important one late in the final minutes. ACU grabbed seven consecutive offensive rebounds, and despite not scoring on any of those opportunities, the Firestorm took 90 seconds of the final 3:08 off the clock. The Spirit cut it to two with 1:24 left, and again with 20 seconds remaining, but were unable to get any closer.

Nine different players scored for OUAZ, including four true freshmen. Landyn Lovelady led all newcomers with seven points and 22 minutes.

The Spirit are not scheduled to play until January 5, 2021, but that is subject to change. Visit ouazspirit.com for the most recent news and schedule for the women's basketball program.