OSKALOOSA, Iowa - A 19-0 run to start the game buried the Ashford University (8-8, 1-3 MCC) women's basketball team on the road against William Penn University (10-8, 2-2 MCC), falling 79-55 in Midwest Collegiate Conference action on Wednesday.

The Saints were playing in their first game since Dec. 22, a home game against Iowa Wesleyan College. The defeat puts Ashford seventh in the league standings.

Senior forward Shel'si Weaver of Beloit, Wis., led AU in the scoring column with 12 points, her seventh game in double figures this season.

Combining for over half of the Lady Statesmen scoring was Christa Subbert, who had a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds, while Samantha Darley added 20.

"Unfortunately, we weren't able to get on track offensively early in this game," AU Head Coach Chris Powers said. "This wasn't our best performance of the year and we'll work on things in practice before Saturday at Grand View."

The Saints were held scoreless for the first two and a half minutes while William Penn strung together the momentous run. AU committed five turnovers and missed a pair of shots in that span before a layup by sophomore guard Whitney Miller of Clinton put the Saints on the board.

Ashford responded with a 5-0 run capped by a pair of free throws by Miller and three-point shot by senior Jessie Rosenow of Erie, Ill.

The Saints wouldn't fold as they trimmed a 17-point Lady Statesmen edge to a six-point margin with two minutes left in the first half.

But William Penn would go on a 5-0 run to close out the half and take a 12-point edge going into the break.

William Penn slowly pulled away in the second half, building its lead up to 20 on free throws by Subbert, and the Saints couldn't pull any closer the remainder of the game.

Ashford shot just under 28 percent from the field (17-of-61) compared to the Lady Statesmen's 45.2 percent clip.

Senior guard Kelly Fisher of Fremont, Calif, contributed seven points and was one rebound shy of equaling her career-best total, pulling down 12 boards. She hauled in 13 rebounds last season against Clarke College.

Ashford will look to get back above the .500 mark on Saturday, traveling to Des Moines for a showdown against No. 20 Grand View University. Tip is set for 1 p.m.