EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern opened Sunday's exhibition contest on a 17-5 run but after that the Lewis women's basketball team hung with the Wildcats in an 84-69 loss at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Sunday afternoon in Evanston, Ill.

Northwestern scored the first seven points of the contest before the Flyers got on the board with a three-pointer from Kaitlyn Williams (Homer Glen, Ill./Joliet Catholic) to cut the lead to 7-3. The Wildcats responded with 15-4 run to extend their lead to 22-7 on a jumper from Sidney Wood with 2:41 left in the opening quarter.

After exchanging three-point baskets, Lewis closed the quarter scoring five of the last seven points to trim the lead to 27-15 at the quarter break.

The Flyers continued to hang around the 10-to-12 point deficit for the early portions of the second quarter but were able to cut the lead to nine when Tierney Lockett (Richton Park, Ill./Rich South) converted on an old fashioned three-point play with 6:31 to go in the frame.

Lewis would get it down to 37-29 after two free throws from Rachel Hinders (Johnston, Iowa/Johnston) but Northwestern responded with an 8-0 run to extend the lead to 45-29 after a free throw from Abi Scheid. Dajae Black (Chicago, Ill./Marist) made it 14 point game at the intermission scoring on a layup with 0:12 left in the half.

The Wildcats opened the third quarter scoring six of the first eight points to extend its halftime lead to 18 but the Flyers continued to fight cutting the deficit to 10 on two different occasions in the quarter. Northwestern closed out the quarter with an 8-3 run to take a 15-point cushion into the final stanza.

The Wildcats led by 17 midway through the final period when Hinders hit back-to-back three-pointers to cut the lead to 74-63 with 5:46 left in the contest. Northwestern stretched its lead back out to 17 but Lewis finished the game scoring four of the final six points for the final margin.

Hinders led the Flyers with 24 points off the bench. She hit 9-of-13 shots from the field and was 4-for-6 from beyond the arc. Lockett added 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Jessica Kelliher (Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha North) and Gabby Green (Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI) chipped in with eight and six points respectively.

Lewis shot 41 percent (26-for-63) from the floor, was 9-of-28 (32 percent) from three and shot 62 percent at the foul line. The Flyers were outrebounded 34-to-25 in the contest.

Lewis opens the regular season next Saturday traveling to Hillsdale, Mich., to take on Northern Michigan at 11 a.m. (CST).