The Misericordia University women's basketball team dropped its home conference opener to Stevens, 49-38, Monday afternoon in the Anderson Center.
 
Skylar Dowling led the Cougars with 12 points and Alyssa Bondi added eight.
 
Dowling opened the game with a three-pointer to give MU its only lead of the game.
 
In a defensive struggle, the Cougars trailed 9-6 after one period and were down 22-15 at halftime.
 
After falling behind by 10 points in the third quarter, MU cut the deficit to 31-27 on a layup by Alina Torchia and two free throws from Samantha Casey.
 
Stevens used a 9-3 run over the final three minutes to seal the win.