BILLINGS, MT. - The Montevallo women's basketball team opened the season at the DII Tip Off Classic, falling 69-55 to the top ranked Lubbock Christian Lady Chaps, Friday afternoon in Montana.  

"I was really proud of how hard the girls played. We struggled coming out but after the first five minutes we settled down and played even with LC. I thought we battled inside and got to the free throw line against a solid defensive team Steve does a great job and is a great guy. Back to back National Champions don't happen by accident. We competed and that's a great stepping stone for our team," remarked head coach Gary Van Atta.

The Lady Chaps jumped out early on the Falcons with a 10-0 run in the first few minutes of the game.  Montevallo began to put points together before the end of the first quarter but Lubbock Christian held the edge 21-11 at the conclusion of the period.

Lubbock's three point shooting created an even further gap in the second quarter, going up as high as 15 points against UM.  Montevallo battled to cut into the lead, ending the first half with a 36-26 deficit. LCU wss efficient in the second half, extending their lead to 18 points by the end of the third.  The Falcons battled but the Lady Chaps held the lead for the duration of the game ending with a 69-55 score.

Shyan Flack led the Falcons in production putting up10 points with 13 rebounds, an assist, and a block.  

UP NEXT:  The Falcons will face the #11 ranked University of Tampa Spartans in the next round of the DII Tip Off Classic, with tip-off set for 1:15 PM in Billings.