Mission opened its 2025–26 season at home Thursday night, hosting Ecclesia College inside W.E. Dowell Fieldhouse. The Lady Patriots entered the night eager to set the tone early in front of their home crowd, and they did exactly that—controlling the game from start to finish in a dominant 77–39 win.

Mission struck first and quickly established rhythm offensively. Guard Ireland Jones found her shooting touch early, connecting on multiple jumpers and a three-pointer to help the Lady Patriots build a 16–9 lead after the first quarter. The defensive pressure from Mission was relentless, forcing tough shots and holding Ecclesia to just 18 percent shooting in the opening frame.

The second quarter saw Mission hit its stride on both ends of the court. The Lady Patriots outscored Ecclesia 24–10 behind balanced scoring and strong rebounding from forward Jayla Kirksey, who battled inside for second-chance opportunities. Jones continued to lead the charge with efficient perimeter play, while Miya Nieto added energy in transition and knocked down a pair of threes. By halftime, Mission had stretched its advantage to 40–19.

Ecclesia looked to chip away in the third, but Mission's depth proved too much. Nieto and Whitney Coffelt each added timely buckets, and reserve guard Autumn Gunter provided a lift off the bench with a three-pointer and several hustle plays. Mission maintained control throughout the period, entering the fourth quarter up 56–33.

The Lady Patriots closed the game in emphatic fashion, holding Ecclesia to just six points in the final quarter while adding 21 of their own. Mission's defensive rotations tightened, and the bench unit continued to execute on both ends. Freshman forward Naomi Daugherty made the most of her minutes, scoring seven points and pulling down six rebounds to help seal the victory.

Jones led all scorers with 21 points on 6-of-14 shooting, including three three-pointers, while Nieto followed with 16 points and five assists. Kirksey contributed 10 rebounds and seven points in a strong inside performance. Mission shot 37 percent from the field, outrebounded Ecclesia 50–52, and forced 32 turnovers in the commanding win.

The 77–39 victory marks a confident start to the 2025–26 campaign for the Lady Patriots, who displayed balance, effort, and poise throughout their opener. Mission (1–0) will now look to carry that momentum into its first road test of the season on Saturday, Nov. 1, when it travels to St. Louis to face St. Thomas University at 7:00 p.m.