SAVANNAH, Ga. – The Lynn women's basketball team stumbled in their season opener on Friday night, falling to Armstrong State by a final of 69-64 on the first day of the B.J. Ford Classic.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:

Final: Armstrong State 69, Lynn 64

Records: Armstrong State (1-0), Lynn (0-1)

Location: Alumni Arena | Savannah Ga.

Series: Armstrong State leads 1-0

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HOW IT HAPPENED:

• First Half | The Pirates scored the first four points of the game, but Lynn went on an 8-0 run to take their first lead of the season. Tifani Kerrison tallied 11 first half points, connecting on four of six shots from the floor. The momentum carried over into the second quarter, as Charla-Nelson James connected on an early jumper to extend the Knight lead to four. Lynn carried a 37-33 point lead into the locker room at intermission.
• Second Half | The Pirates came out firing in the second half, going on a 15-3 run to start the third quarter. The Knights shot just 22.5% in the final 20 minutes, and the Pirates outrebounded Lynn 24-21 in that span. Kerrison rounded out her double-double by collecting nine rebounds in the second half. The Blue and White couldn't seem to buy a bucket down the stretch, however, allowing Armstrong State to prevail with a five-point victory.

QUOTABLE:

• "For the first game, I couldn't be more proud of our team and their effort. It is always tough to play the home team in their own tournament, and their crowd had great energy tonight. Our girls fought, and I loved our energy in the first half. We got a little nervous when they took the lead and lost our focus. We are extremely athletic, so we will see a lot of zone. We had trouble rebounding today, and tomorrow's opponent is more athletic than today's. We have to take care of the ball and make good decisions." – Lynn head coach Julia Huddleston

STATS FROM THE GAME:

• Kerrison led the Knights with 15 points and ten rebounds, while Armstrong State's B'Kiya Webb recorded a double-double of her own. She finished her night with 16 points and 12 boards, leading all players in both categories.
• Lynn shot 52% from the floor in the first half, but a 9-for-40 effort in the second half was ultimately their undoing.
• Eight Knights found the bottom of the twine, while all nine recorded a rebound.
• The Pirates got to the free throw line 23 times in the second half, connecting on 74% of those shots.
• Lynn won the turnover battle, forcing 23 and committing only 16.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

• Lynn dropped their season opener for the first time since 2010, when they lost by ten points to Northern Kentucky.
• Friday's meeting was the first ever between Lynn and Armstrong State.

UP NEXT:

The Fighting Knights return to Alumni Arena on Saturday, when they will take on Clayton State on the final of day of the B.J. Ford Classic. Tipoff is slated for 2:00 pm.