BRAMPTON, Ont. - The Sheridan Bruins women's basketball team (5-7, 3-5 OCAA) put together a strong second half rally, but saw it stall and fall short in an 82-74 loss to Niagara.

"I'm really proud of the effort," head coach Willie Delas said. "We had a couple of players that were playing hurt and we never gave in. I think we're a really talented team. And if we can become relentless - hustle and effort for 40 minutes - we'll be a very tough out for people."

It was a quick start for the Bruins, who led 22-12 after one, buoyed by a 9-0 run late. 

Niagara opened the second period on a 13-1 run that gave the visitors a 25-23 edge, with the Double-Blue managing to stay within three, 37-34, at halftime. 

The margin slowly grew throughout the third quarter, with Niagara pushing their advantage as high as 13 (58-45) before settling into a 61-54 lead going into the fourth quarter.

Sheridan climbed all the way back to within two, 69-67, but strong outside shooting - as Niagara connected three times from deep in the final four minutes - powered the visitors to the finish. 

Theresa Brown scored a team-high 20 points, while Camila Orellana (16) and Courtni Martin (15) both notched career-high point totals. 

The Double-Blue will wrap the first half of their season with a visit to Redeemer Friday (6pm) with the two sides holding remarkably similar numbers.

Both sit at 3-5 in conference play, with the Bruins having scored 516 points and allowed 579 points, while Redeemer has scored 513 points and allowed 580.