Joplin, Mo. -- Senior guard Deb Holcomb poured in a career-high 28 points and tied a career-best with seven boards as the Missouri Southern women's basketball team defeated visiting Truman State 94-88 in front of more than 1,000 fans at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. 

Southern (2-3) wins for the second time in a row against the Bulldogs (3-2). The Lions utilized key runs in the first and third quarters and made their free throws in the fourth to put away the game. 

Holcomb went 8-14 from the field and 3-7 from long-range, while making 9-12 from the free throw line in 33 minutes of play. Jenson Maydew and Desirea Buerge scored 13 points and pulled down eight rebounds each, while Amelia Bramer scored 11 points. 

Truman had three score in double-figures, led by 27 points from Rachel Edmundson. Brooke Bailey scored 16 points, while Rachel Steinhoff added 12. 

Truman opened up a 5-0 lead, before the Lions used a three from Holcomb and a pair of freebies from Bri Shavers-McNease to tie the game with 8:28 left in the frist quarter. Jumpers from Holcomb and Maydew gave the Lions a 9-5 lead two trips more down the court. 

The Southern lead was five (17-12) after a pair of free throws from Jasmine Green with 3:30 to go, and after the Bulldogs tied it at 17, Southern finished the quarter on a 7-2 run to lead 24-19 after one. 

The teams traded baskets in the second quarter until a three from Bailey gave Truman a 36-31 lead with 4:13 to go in the quarter. The lead was six (41-35) with 3:10 to go, and four (44-40 with 1:33 to go, but a pair of freebies from Holcomb and a three from Julianna Wadsworth with 21 seconds to go sent the teams into the locker room tied at 44. 

Truman pushed its lead to five (49-44) with 8:09 to go in the third, but a three from Buerge with 6:21 to go tied the game at 52. The teams traded baskets, but a three-point play from Bramer with 3:44 left gave the Liosn a 57-56 lead and a three from Bramer with 2:26 left in the quarter made the score 60-57, Lions. 

A three-point play from Chelsey Henry with four seconds to go in the quarter gave the Lions a 65-61 lead after three quarters. 

The Southern lead reached ten (72-62) after a three from Holcomb and was 12 (74-62) after a pair of freebies from Bramer. The lead reached its apex (14) after a jumper from Buerge made the score 78-64 with 5:24 left in the game. 

Truman made late threes to get within four (87-83) with 39 seconds left, but the Lions made their free throws late to secure the win. 

The Lions had a 28-22 advantage in the paint and scored 28 points off of 20 Truman turnovers. The Southern bench held a 34-22 advantage in bench points. 

The Lions will be back in action on November 25 when they play at Illinois-Springfield. Tip off is slated for 5:30 pm.