Monday, January 4, 2016

MSSU women fall to Fort Hays State 68-60

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern Women's Basketball team dropped their third straight game on Monday night at Gross Memorial Coliseum 68-60 to top ranked Fort Hays State.

The Lions (9-5, 3-5 MIAA) took the early lead as sophomoreDru Clark got the scoring started with a lay-up just 20 seconds into the contest. Fort Hays State answered with a 6-0 run before senior Sharese Jones sank a pair of free throws to cut the lead to two and followed that up with a layup on the next Southern possession for a 6-6 tie. Jones scored eight of her 10 first half points in the opening stanza as the Lions trailed number one Fort Hays State 15-12 after the first.

The Tigers started the second quarter on a 7-0 run to open a 22-12 advantage before senior Tami Morice converted on a three point play to cut the lead back down to seven with just over seven minutes left in the half. Jones hit a lay-up to cut the lead to five with 6:11 left in the half and following the trading of free throws junior Deb Holcomb sank a jumper to cut the lead to three at 23-20 with just over four minutes until the break. After a free throw from senior Kenya Wilson-Browncut the lead down to two at 23-21 FHSU went on a 10-0 run over the last 3:43 to take a 33-21 lead into the locker room.

Coming out of the locker room the Lions and Tigers traded punches for the first two minutes with each scoring a pair of buckets before Taylor Chandler and Chelsea Mason gave FHSU their largest lead of the night at 41-26 with just under seven minutes left in the half. Freshman Desirea Burege made a lay-up off the assist from Wilson-Brown to cut the lead to 41-28. A 13-2 run by the Lions over the next five minutes cut the lead to two at 43-41, Holcomb scored six of her team high 19 during the run. After back-to-back buckets from FHSU's Paige Lunsford, Clark sank a lay-up as time expired in the third to make it a 47-43 ball game.

Freshman Chelsey Henry started the fourth quarter with a lay-up as the Lions clawed back within two at 47-45. Fort Hays State used a 6-0 run to go back up eight at 53-45, before Holcomb's jumper at the 4:01 mark ended that run and that would be the closest the Lions would get before Clark hit a three pointer at the buzzer to make it 68-60.

For the game, the Lions shot 51 percent (24-for-47) from the field but only 50 percent (10-for-20) from the charity stripe. FHSU out rebounded the Lions 42-31 but the Lions out dished the Tigers 14-7 with Wilson-Brown leading the way with six. She now leads the MIAA with 73 assists on the season and entering tonight was 21st in all of NCAA D-II.

Southern will return home on Thursday night to take on Southwest Baptist on Robert Corn Court inside The Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. Tip off for the MIAA game is scheduled at 5:30 p.m.


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