POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. -- Houghton women's basketball got the early game on day one of the 2025 NCCAA Division Women's Basketball Tournament and they never seemed to get out of the starting blocks, losing 70-43 to No. 5 Asbury.

Asbury put on a defensive clinic, recording 23 steals as the Eagles controlled play throughout. Both squads came out firing in the first quarter, thanks to threes from Ma'Kyiah West and Hannah Farley. A pair of jumpers from Liz Boyd pushed the Asbury advantage to double digits, and another corner three from West had the Eagles rolling, up 24-13 at the end of the first quarter. 

The second quarter was a defensive slugfest between the two, as neither team scored for nearly three minutes and the Eagles forced five Highlander turnovers in that span. The Eagles kept up their form from the field, ending the half on a 15-7 run, and a triple gave Asbury a 41-22 advantage at the break.

The Eagles picked up right where they left off in the third quarter, hitting a pair of threes to spark a 10-0 run for Asbury. A pair of makes from deep by Kayla Camacho and Abby Guiher started a run for the Highlanders, but another Asbury three and a steal and score from Camryn Poole ended the run, and Asbury led 58-30 at the end of the third. The Eagles continued to roll in the fourth quarter, starting the period on a 6-0 run. Another West three kept Asbury in control.

Houghton hit just 29 percent of their shots from the field and turned the ball over 32 times. LaCrosse led Houghton with 10 points, while Camacho, Tabitha DeVries and Guiher added six apiece. Camacho led the team with 10 rebounds with LaCrosse adding a team-high four assist.

Houghton will move on to day two of action where they will face #8 Ohio Christian at 9:30 a.m. Eastern.