WALLA WALLA, Wash. — On Day 1 of the Kim Evanger Raney Classic, the Sul Ross State women's basketball team began the season with a tough 70-57 loss to the Whitworth University Pirates on Friday night at the Sherwood Athletic Center.

>> HOW IT HAPPENED:

The Lobos started the game on a 6-0 run after Marley Rokas scored four points and Morgan Peralez made a layup.

Peralez later scored on another layup with 7:11 on the clock to give Sul Ross State an 8-1 lead.

Using a 7-0 run, the Pirates came back to tie up the game at eight-all with 6:34 remaining.

On a pair of free throws by Victoria Aguayo, the Lobos tied up the score at 10-all before Whitworth regained the lead with a three-pointer.

Peralez scored her sixth point in the paint to cut the deficit to one.

Whitworth closed out the opening quarter on a 7-2 run to lead 20-14.

The Lobos started off the second quarter with an 11-0 run to turn the tide by taking a 25-20 lead. Caitlyn Corley and Cheyanne Bonilla scored the first four points on a pair of jump shots.

With a three-pointer, the Pirates chiseled the deficit to two points with 6:23 to go.

Peralez continued to show her dominance in the paint after she grabbed an offensive rebound and finished it off with a layup to give the Lobos a four-point cushion.

After a steal by Bonilla, Peralez capitalized off the fast break to make the score 29-23 with just under six minutes on the clock.

Whitworth battled back by hitting another three to tie up the score at 30-all.

Peralez helped Sul Ross State take the lead back by grabbing a steal that led to a layup by Emily Bunger to put the Lobos up by two with 2:04 to go.

The Pirates used an 8-0 run to close out the half to flip the script and take a 38-32 lead.

Whitworth led by as much as 13 points in the third quarter until the Lobos used a 9-0 run to trail by five with 3:24 to go.

Fouls then became an issue for the Lobos as Rokas exited the game with five.

>> RECORDS: Sul Ross State (0-1); Whitworth University (1-0)

>> GAME NOTES:

• Peralez had a double-double with a team-high 16 points and 13 rebounds. Peralez also had three blocks, two assists and two steals.
• Bonilla chipped in with 13 points, three steals and three assists.
• Aguayo also recorded a double-double by tallying 10 points and 10 boards. She also led the Lobos with eight steals.
• The Lobos shot 14 of 19 from the free throw line, 6 for 7 in the first half.
• Sul Ross State had 40 points in the paint, 26 of which came in the first half.

>> UP NEXT: The Lobos take on Whitman College at 5 p.m. PST on Saturday, Nov. 11.