Emporia, Kan. - The Missouri Southern Lions Women's Basketball team could not over come a cold shooting first quarter as they fell 90-73 to Southwestern Oklahoma State in the final game of the MIAA/GAC Challenge hosted by Emporia State University at William L. White Auditorium on Sunday evening.

The Lions (1-1) shot just 14.3 percent (3-for-21) from the field in the opening quarter and trailed after one 25-12. SWOSU (1-1) used a 12-0 run, after Southern junior Kayla Kivinski opened the game with a free throw at the 9:21 mark, to take control. Sophomore Desirea Buerge halted the 12-0 run with a layup at the 6:10 mark, but the Bulldogs used another 6-0 run to expand their lead to 15 at 18-3. A couple of and ones from juniors Julianna Wadsworth and Jasmine Green cut the lead down to 11, 18-7 and 22-11 respectively but a three from SWOSU's Savannah Gray made it a 14 point ball game with just under 1:30 left in the quarter. The Lions got a free throw from Wadsworth to make it 25-12 heading into the second quarter.

On the second possession of the quarter Wadsworth drained a jumper that sparked a 10-0 run by Southern to get the game within three at 25-22. During that run junior Bri Shavers-McNeace sank a lay up and Kivinski and senior Amelia Bramer both drained threes. After a three pointer from the Bulldogs, Bramer found a rolling Jenson Maydew to cut the lead back to four at 28-24 with 7:46 left in the half. Two minutes later Southwestern Oklahoma pushed the lead back to six on a layup from Nicole Middleton and a three from Tyra Aska had SWOSU back in control with a nine point lead with just under five minutes before intermission. After a pair of charities from Wadsworth, SWOSU used a 5-0 run to make it 38-26 with 3:20 left in the half. Southern answered with a half on a 6-0 run with four points coming from sophomore Shannon Mitchell, a layup in the paint and a pair of free throws, to make it an six point ball game at 38-32 with just under two minutes left. A layup from the Bulldogs' Taylor Hendrick and a free throw from Nicole Middleton pushed the lead back to nine before Buerge hit a layup and time expired in the first half sending the Lions into the locker room down just seven points, 41-34.

Southern outscored the Bulldogs 22-16 in the second quarter, but SWOSU still shot 50 percent (6-for-12) from the field while the Lions went 8-for-26 (30.8 percent). For the half, SWOSU finished 16-for-29 from the field including 5-for-11 from three point range while the Lions shot 11-for-47 from the field and were just 2-for-12 from downtown. Wadsworth led Southern with nine first half points with Kivinski adding six points and six (all offensive) rebounds. Shavers-McNeace pulled down a first half high eight rebounds for Southern. Southwestern Oklahoma was led by Hailey Tucker with nine points, 4-for-7 from the field, with Nicole Middleton adding seven. Tucker was also the Bulldogs' leading rebounder in the opening half with seven.

Bramer opened the second half on a 5-0 run to cut Southwestern Oklahoma's lead down to two at 41-39 and a free throw from Buerge made it a one point ball game with 6:56 left in the third. SWOSU's Tucker hit a driving layup to push the lead back to three, but Bramer gave Southern their first tie of the game with a three at the 6:35 mark knotting it up at 43-43. The Bulldogs' Hayden Priddy hit just one of two free throws following the Bramer three to retake the lead for SWOSU before senior Deb Holcomb drove the lane for Southern's first lead since the opening minute of the game. From there it was all Southwestern Oklahoma as the Bulldogs put together a 13-0 run to go up 57-45 with 1:57 left in the third. A pair of free throws from Buerge got Southern within 10, but the Bulldogs closed the third quarter on a 9-2 run for a 65-45 lead headed into the fourth quarter.

Holcomb started the scoring in the fourth quarter with a jumper and Kivinski added a layup 20 seconds later to cut the lead down to 12, 65-53. Following a three pointer by SWOSU's Gray, Buerge drained a pair from the charity stripe to cut the lead down to 68-55. That would be the closest the Lions could get until Green drained a three pointer to cut the lead to ten at 77-67 with 4:27 to play.  A minute later Holcomb cut the lead to ten again with a jumper off the assist from Green but SWOSU put together an 8-0 run to seal the game for the 90-73 win.

Southern out rebounded the Bulldogs 58-41, but SWOSU out shot the Lions 53.2 percent (33-for-62) to 28.6 percent (24-for-84). Holcomb led the Lions with 14 points and Bramer added 11 from the point guard position. Wadsworth, Buerge, and Green each added nine points for Southern. Kivinski led all rebounders with 12, seven offensive boards, with Shavers-McNeace adding 10 rebounds. Hailey Tucker led Southwestern Oklahoma State with 20 points and Savannah Gray added 16. Taylor Hendrick, Whitney Dunn, and Hayden Priddy also scored in double figures with 14, 12, and 10 points respectively.

Southern will make their  regular season home debut this Tuesday, November 15th when they host Harding University. Tip off from Robert Corn Court/The Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.