OMAHA, Neb. – A four-minute stretch midway through the second half proved costly for the College of Saint Mary basketball team on Wednesday night.

Nebraska Wesleyan University went on a 12-0 run to open the fourth quarter, turning a 43-40 lead into a 55-40 advantage. The Prairie Wolves went on to beat the Flames 66-52 in nonconference action at the Lied Fitness Center.

CSM (1-5) turned it over 22 times, allowing Wesleyan (1-1) to gain a 26-11 advantage in points off turnovers.

"We struggled to handle pressure,'' CSM Coach Natalie Miller said.

The Flames held NWU to just 2-of-17 shooting and eight points in the second quarter. Despite scoring just 11 points of its own in the second, CSM trailed 25-23 at the intermission.

Haley Debuse's basket off a Madelyn Gaughen feed kept the hosts within 43-40 after three quarters. But then came the key stretch of the game. The Flames had six straight empty possessions to start the fourth – on three turnovers and three missed shots – and the Prairie Wolves scored on four straight possessions and eventually led 55-40 with 6:39 remaining.

CSM forced a flurry of turnovers in the final two minutes and got within nine with 57 seconds left, but no closer.

"I felt like our ladies, at the end when we had to pressure, did a good job that way,'' Miller said. "I do feel like our defense looked much better today overall, as far as talking on switches. We just didn't guard one-on-one very well.

"But I felt like as a team, talking on switches, communicating, high energy and wanting to play together on defense, was much better.''

Madelyn Gaughen led the Flames with 15 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. Debuse added 10 points and four rebounds. Jai'La Porter and Freda Moore scored eight each while Kathryn Gaughen led with six assists.

CSM plays again Saturday at home with a 2 p.m. matchup against No. 9 Briar Cliff University in its Great Plains Athletic Conference opener.