The Ursuline College basketball team opened the 2017-18 season with an 81-75 setback against visiting Ferris State University in the G-MAC/GLIAC Regional Challenge.
 
The Bulldogs offense started the game on a 10-2 run capped by a layup from Riley Blair in the opening three minutes of the game.
 
Ursuline climbed back into the game after a pair of free throws from senior Laney Lewis and a three-pointer from sophomore Ky Crevison to make it 10-7 with just under six minutes to play in the opening quarter.
 
After a layup from senior Camryn Hill made it 10-9, the Bulldogs went on a 9-0 run to build an 18-9 lead late in the first. Hill closed the quarter with a three-pointer that beat the buzzer to pull the Arrows to within eight at 21-13 after one.
 
Ferris State extended its lead to 11 at three different points of the second quarter before Ursuline cut the deficit to 39-30 at the intermission.
 
The Arrows offense started clicking in the third quarter when sophomore Carly Knocz buried a three-pointer to make it 41-35 and senior Camille Gist hit a jumper to make it 45-40.
 
The Arrows finished the third quarter trailing 57-50.
 
Gist sparked the Arrows again in the fourth quarter with a steal and a la up to make it 59-56 with just over eight minutes to play. After a layup by Hill and a free throw by Lewis, the Arrows trailed by four with just over a minute left by Ferris State got layup and foul to pull away in the final minute.
 
Ursuline shot 39 percent (27-for-69) from the field and hit 9-for-26 from behind the three-point line while Ferris State shot 33-for-95 (34 percent) and were just 2-for-16 from three. The Bulldogs finished 13-for-21 from the free throw line while Ursuline was 12-for-21. The Arrows turned the ball over 23 times that led to 25 Bulldog points.
 
Gist led the Arrows with 17 points on 6-for-11 shooting while pulling down three rebounds in 36 minutes. Lewis and Hill finished with 14 points apiece while Lewis grabbed 18 rebounds and dished out six assists. Junior Paige Salisbury had 12 points in her Ursuline debut.
 
The Arrows will host Michigan Tech on Saturday afternoon at 4:00 PM after the Huskies defeated Davis & Elkins 65-48 in the second game on Friday.