MILWAUKEE – For the first time in two years, the Mount Mary basketball team took to the hardwood in Saturday's season-opener. Despite dropping the contest to the Archers of Moody Bible Institute 77-64, the Blue Angels showed the crowd at MMU's Bloechl Center exactly what they've been missing.

"You always want to win, but short of that I feel like we accomplished a great deal tonight," head coach Marc Heidorf said. "If you watched this team tonight I don't think there is any way you could not come away impressed with the heart and determination on display.

"I am proud of our crew and am excited to see what else they can do throughout the course of the full season."

Statistically speaking, the Blue Angels played a very solid all-around game. Most notably was the team's presence at the free-throw line, going 21-for-35 from the charity stripe compared to 8-for-19 for Moody Bible. However, the Archers' balance proved too much for Mount Mary's pressure as they racked up 17 assists on 32 made field goals.

Mount Mary was led by senior guard Emily Barker (Oconomowoc, Wis.) who nearly compiled a triple-double with nine rebounds and seven steals to go with a game-high 19 points. This effort coming after Barker set a new personal-best and Mount Mary school record at the NCAA Midwest Regional Cross Country meet earlier in the day.

After a slow start, freshman Taylor Baumgart (Burlington, Wis.) heated up in the second half to finish with 17 points and eight boards, also going 7-for-8 from the free-throw line. Sophomore Yolanda Coleman (Wauwatosa, Wis.) chipped in 10 points and a team-high three assists, while senior center Ashley Leverenz (Mauston, Wis.) tallied nine points and nine boards.

After Coleman opened Mount Mary's 2013-14 season by converting on one of two free-throws, Moody Bible surged to an early 6-1 lead behind some hot shooting from the floor. The Archers shot 41.5 percent in that first stanza and sunk five three-pointers en route to a 41-35 halftime lead.

The Blue Angels would keep it close early into the second half, but the Archers would eventually pull away and never relinquish their early lead.

Mount Mary will have a busy month of November, with four games filling in its slate before the Thanksgiving holiday. Next up the Blue Angels will head to nearby Wisconsin Lutheran College in a 7:00 p.m. matchup Tuesday.