The Missouri Southern women's basketball team secured a bid to Kansas City today as the Lions defeated visiting Lincoln 79-69 on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
Southern (20-6, 14-5 MIAA) picks up its first 20-win season since the 1995-96 campaign when the Lions went 23-6. The Lions also secure at least the No. 4 seed in Kansas City with No. 3 still a possibility depending on the outcome of the Pittsburg State-Washburn game later in the evening.
The Lions were led offensively by a career night from Jenson Maydew. Maydew scored a career-high 18 points and pulled down seven boards. Camila Lacerda came up just three rebounds shy of a triple-double when the senior scored 15, dished out ten assists and added seven rebounds. Sharese Jones picked up her seventh double-double of the season with 15 points and ten rebounds, while Shawnee Phillips scored 13.
Lincoln (12-13, 7-12 MIAA) was led offensively by 22 points from Hunter Yoakum. Three other Blue Tigers scored in double-figures.
The Lions opened up an 11-3 lead at the 15:39 mark of the first half after a layup from Jenson Maydew off an assist from Lacerda. A three from Lacerda at the 10:31 mark gave the Lions a 12-point lead (19-7) and a pair of free throws from Jones pushed the Lions' lead up to 14 (21-7) the next trip down.
The lead reached 14 twice more in the half, the last on a layup from Lex Fitzpatrick with 1:42 to go and the Lions took a nine-point lead (42-33) into the break after a layup from Lincoln as time ran out.
Southern shot 50 percent in the half and Lacerda had eight points and six assists at the break. Jones led all scorers with nine points on 3-4 shooting.
A three pointer from Lacerda with 16:54 left in the game put the Lions up by 15 (53-38) and a layup from Maydew with 7:30 to go gave the Lions a 21 point advantage (67-46). That would be the largest lead of the game for the Lions as a three from Fizpatrick with 6:46 left gave the Lions a 70-49 lead as well.
Southern shot 51 percent from the field and 48 percent from long-range. The Lions made 74 percent of their free-throws and had a 12-6 advantage on the offensive boards, leading to a 16-2 lead in second-chance points. The Lions out rebounded the Blue Tigers 43-23.
The Lions will be back in action next Friday, March 6 in the second-round of the MIAA Tournament. Opponent info and game time will be released by the MIAA later this evening.
No comments:
Post a Comment