ST. PAUL, Minn. - In the first regular season game of the 2018-19 season, the St. Catherine University Wildcat basketball team lost on the road at the University of Northwestern-St. Paul 58-52.  The match-up with the Eagles is the first of five non-conference games before starting conference play at the University of St. Thomas on December 1. 

The Wildcats were toe to toe with the Eagles in the first  game of the regular season. Trailing by just one heading into the second period, St. Kate's took their first lead of the game 15 seconds into the second quarter. They struggled to hold the lead letting the Eagles head into the half up by three.

After the half, St. Kate's trailed the Eagles throughout the third quarter before picking up momentum late in the fourth quarter to come from behind and tie it up playing a tough defensive game. Junior Danica Cambrice (Minneapolis, Minn. / St. Croix Lutheran) took the lead for the Wildcats with 3:06 on the clock and held the Eagles for over a minute when they tied it at 46-46 to force overtime. 

St. Kate's took the quick lead in the five minute overtime with senior Audra Clark (Kenyon, Minn. / Kenyon-Wanamingo) hitting a three before fouling out with over three minutes remaining. The Wildcats were able to keep the lead up until 0:38 minute mark when Northwestern made a 3-point basket to go up one. St. Kate's was unable to get back the deficit and allowed the Eagles to finish the overtime ahead 58-52.

The Wildcats were clutch from behind the free throw line going 6-8 at 75% in the game. Cambrice had 16 points and Clark had 14. First-year Taylor Johnson (Cottage Grove, Minn. / Park) was 3-7 on three-point shots with 9 points off the bench. 

St. Kate's heads to River Falls, Wis. on Friday for a non-conference tournament play against the University of Wisconsin-Stout Blue Devils at 5:30 p.m. and back on Saturday for a 3 p.m. game against tournament hosts, the University of Wisconsin River Falls Falcons.