PALATINE, Ill. – The Harper College women's basketball team had a hard time containing Moraine Valley Community College's two post players in the second half on Tuesday night. The end result was a 69-53 loss to the Cyclones.

The Hawks (1-6) struggled to keep the Cyclones (5-2) off the boards, as Moraine Valley held a decisive 66-36 edge on the glass. Cyclones post players Erin Drynan and Michelle Borgen were almost unstoppable down low. Drynan finished the game with a triple-double of 26 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 blocks while Borgen had 23 points and 16 rebounds.

Harper's Jackie Stroud (Norridge, Ill. /Ridgewood) scored 11 points in the first quarter, including three 3-pointers, to give the Hawks an 18-14 lead. However, the hosts went cold in the second quarter, scoring only six points on 2-of-18 shooting. Moraine Valley held a 28-24 advantage at halftime.

That's when Drynan and Borgen took over. The Cyclones started the second half on a 23-3 run in the first six minutes to take a 51-27 lead. In the third quarter alone, Drynan had five points and eight rebounds, and Borgen had 10 points and eight rebounds. The visitors had a major edge (44-10) in points in the paint.

Stroud scored a career-high 23 points for the Hawks and knocked down five 3-pointers. Kim Herzog (/Buffalo Grove) scored nine points (7-of-9 free throws) before fouling out in the fourth period. Ashonte Sims (Bloomington, Ill. /Normal Community West) added four points and seven rebounds, and Nastia Solsaa (Menomonie, Wis. /Menomonie ) came off the bench to score four points and grab six rebounds.

Harper plays its next game at home vs. Oakton Community College on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 5 PM inside the Wellness & Sports Center.