ST. BONIFACIUS, Minn. -- Crown handed the UW-Superior women's basketball team its first loss of the season in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference action on Friday, a 56-49 setback at the Wild Athletic Center.
 
The Yellowjackets (5-7, 3-1 UMAC) were led by sophomore Chloe Peterson (Hutchinson, Minn./Hutchinson), who scored 12 points in 20 minutes off the bench. Classmates Katie Dobson (Black River Falls, Wis./Black River Falls) and Elise Besonen (Ewen, Mich./Ewen-Trout Creek) tallied 11 points and five rebounds and 10 points and six boards, respectively. Besonen added a game-high five steals.
 
The first quarter featured six lead changes and UWS trailed by just three points, 29-26, at halftime.
 
Superior scored the first bucket of the second half when junior Bryton Kukowski (Duluth, Minn./Hermantown) knocked down a jumper, assisted by Kaelyn Christian (St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville Senior), inside of the first minute to pull within 29-28. 
 
Crown then used an 8-2 run to take a 37-30 lead on a McKenzie Latzke basket with 7:22 left in he frame. A jumper from Mady Sanders (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) in the paint with 3:37 left in the quarter cut the deficit 37-34, but the Polars were up, 41-35, heading into the final 10 minutes.
 
Crown scored the first five points of the quarter to open the first double-digit lead of the game at 46-35, and the 'Jackets never got closer than five points the rest of the way.
 
Madi Hecox finished with a game-best 18 points, while Isabelle Sager pulled down 13 rebounds to go with eight points. 
 
Crown (8-6, 2-2) outrebounded UWS, 41-26, and held Superior to 25.5 percent shooting on the night.
 
UWS looks to bounce back Saturday at Minnesota Morris. Game time is 4:45 p.m.