Free-throw disparity and a lopsided fourth quarter cost Sterling in its Western Big 6 Conference opener against Rock Island on Tuesday night at Musgrove Fieldhouse.

After leading by as many as 14 points, Sterling fell 59-53 to the visiting Rocks.

The Golden Warriors (1-1, 0-1 Big 6) were called for 27 fouls to Rocky’s seven.

The Rocks were 20 of 35 at the line, hitting 11 free throws during a 28-10 advantage in the fourth quarter. Three starters fouled out for Sterling in the loss.

“I think we just made a lot of poor choices,” Sterling coach Taylor Jackson said. “Obviously it was called a certain way, and I think we didn’t react and respond to that the way that we should have.

“I didn’t necessarily think it was equitable, but also at the same time, we need to be better at responding to how the game’s being played and how the game’s being called.”

Sterling still had a chance to win after letting its lead slip away.

Brenley Johnson’s eighth point in the second half gave Sterling a 53-51 lead with 47 seconds left. But on the ensuing possession, Jae James was called for a foul and an additional technical foul.

Jimira Combs, who finished with 22 points, hit two free throws, and Makayla Curry hit two more to give Rocky a 55-53 lead. Sterling fouled on two more possessions as the Rocks hit their last eight free throws.

“Hopefully we’ll learn our lesson,” Jackson said. “We talked about game one in the conference is an opportunity to learn and grow, and that’s a moment that we have to learn and grow from, and hopefully that won’t happen again.”

Jossy James led Sterling with 22 points, including 11 in the third quarter to help the Warriors build a 43-31 lead after three quarters.

But the Rocks stormed back with an aggressive attack to the basket. Curry scored nine of her 11 points in the fourth quarter, and Ka’Zaria Bell scored nine with 12 rebounds.

“They just were relentless at pushing the ball and getting to the rim, and I think we struggle to defend around the hoop,” Jackson said. “We also gave up too many rebounds.”

The first half was a defensive struggle, as both teams had a tough time making shots. Sterling led 24-20 at halftime.

“We just had to keep guarding and keep rebounding and keep fighting,” Rocky coach Henry Hall said. “It’s going to take all of us to do that kind of stuff. It’s a great win on the road.”

Combs said the Rocks came together to get the win, and hitting their free throws when it mattered most was key.

“We practice free throws every day,” she said. “We have the confidence to shoot those, and we knocked them down.”

Jae James scored eight points for Sterling. Macie Lofgren scored six in the second quarter. Joslyn Green had six points and 10 rebounds off the bench.

Nia Harris said Rock Island’s energy helped the visitors come back.

“They kept pushing the ball, and I think we just got into a slump and weren’t able to come out of it,” she said. “They’re definitely an aggressive team, and I think we could have worked around our foul trouble. We just didn’t want to pick up our fourth, our fifth [fouls].”

While Jossy James has plenty of scoring ability, Sterling hopes to get more offensively from other players.

“We all need to come to the ball more, be ready, be ready for Jossy so she’s not doing it alone,” Harris said. “We have to all play together.

“We just need to play smarter. Keep our heads high going to the next game with a different mentality.”

In a balanced conference, games will continue to be competitive in the Big 6.

“I think that it’s pretty even, and I think every game that you play is going to be like this,” Hall said. “I think it’s great for us to get a road win, because it’s going to be tough to get wins on the road.”

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Sterling’s Macie Lofgren goes for a rebound against Rock Island’s Ka'zaria Bell Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. (Alex T. Paschal)