St. Ambrose lost a pair of games at the Viterbo NAIA Showcase, falling to Viterbo 66-55 Saturday and Midland 82-75 Sunday.

The losses dropped the Bees to 1-4 on the year.

Against the host V-Hawks, SAU struggled offensively shooting just 31.7 percent for the game. The struggles started early as the Bees hit just 5-of-16 shots in both the first and second quarters as Viterbo built a 35-25 halftime lead.

After falling behind by 12 points in the first minute of the third quarter, St. Ambrose ran off a 10-0 run. Reeann McCarty, Charlotte Flynn, Hailey Cook, Mercedes Jackson and Aubrie Carlisle each scored during the spurt that brought the Bees to within 37-35. That would be as close as St. Ambrose would get in the second half of a game in which they never led.

Viterbo reclaimed an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter. SAU rallied to get within five points twice, both times on Cook jumpers, but each time the V-Hawks had the answer.

The Bees' last charge came with 1:34 left when two Gabrielle Koelker free throws trimmed the lead to 59-53, but Viterbo scored the next five points to close out the win.

McCarty was the lone Bee to reach double figures, finishing with 11 points. She also grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. Cook finished with eight points and eight boards, and Madi Epperson and Candace Finnin each scored seven points.

The next afternoon, St. Ambrose committed 10 of its 24 in a decisive third quarter in the loss to Midland.

The Bees built a 43-36 lead at the half behind 10 first-half points from McCarty and nine from Finnin. But the lead vanished in the third. After Flynn's fastbreak layup handed SAU a 58-55 lead, Midland closed the third with a 9-2 lead to grab a 64-60 lead.

The Warriors then scored 12 of the first 14 points of the fourth quarter to take control. Epperson knocked down a three to cut the score to 76-70 with 2:29 left, but Midland answered with a 3-pointer of its own and did enough from the line to hold on.

Epperson led four players in double figures with 16 points. McCarty had 15 points and 11 rebounds, Finnin scored 14 and Cook added 12 points and eight rebounds. Jackson had eight points and eight rebounds in the loss.

St. Ambrose will open CCAC play at home Wednesday night against No. 23 Olivet Nazarene. Tip off is slated for 5:30 p.m. at Lee Lohman Arena.