ROCHESTER, Mich. - Jan. 16 - Southern Utah women's basketball struggled to find its shot all game, connecting on just under 30 percent during the contest as Oakland converted just shy of 50 percent of its attempts handing the Thunderbirds a 78-45 loss on Saturday afternoon.  The setback drops the T-Birds to 4-13 overall and 2-4 in Summit League play, while OU moves to 7-10 and 4-2 in conference play.

SUU dug a hole early as the team was down by double digits (14-4) six minutes into the game.  The margin grew to as much as 24 just before the half until a Cassie Burgess jumper cut the lead to 22 (38-16) going into the intermission.

Caitlyn Sears scored the first bucket of the second half, but the Thunderbirds were not able to shrink the gap any lower than 19 during the final half.  A 7-0 T-Bird run cut the lead back to 20 midway through the stanza, but a counter run by the Golden Grizzlies squashed hopes of a comeback.  OU scored the final four points of the game to set the final score at 78-45.

Challis Pascucci paced the Thunderbirds with 15 points and a game-high seven rebounds, marking the fourth consecutive game that the junior has scored in double figures.  OU's Sharise Calhoun led all scorers with a game-high 18 points and was followed by teammates Bethany Watterworth with 15 and Hanna Reising with 13.

Southern Utah is currently riding a four-game road losing streak and will look to break out of its funk when the Thunderbirds face the IPFW Mastodons in Fort Wayne, Indiana on Monday night.  Tip-off for that game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. (ET).