Joplin, Mo. – Deb Holcomb hit a 26-footer off the glass as time was expiring on the shot clock late in the game, but the visiting tenth-ranked Central Oklahoma Bronchos hit a three-pointer of their own with 2.9 seconds left to edge the Missouri Southern women's basketball team 61-60 today at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
 
Southern (11-10, 6-6 MIAA) was led in scoring with 16 points each from Chelsey Henry and Deb Holcomb. Desirea Burge and Jenson Maydew scored 11 each with Maydew adding a team-high nine rebounds.
 
UCO (19-1, 10-1 MIAA) had three score in double-figures led by 15 points from Olivia Mason.
 
Southern opened up a 7-4 lead early on after a layup from Henry with 7:27 left in the first. The Lions trailed 8-7 at the five-minute mark, but a jumper from Holcomb and two free throws later, Southern led 11-8 with 3:27 to go in the quarter. The Lions led 11-10 after one.
 
A layup from Jasmine Green with 9:21 left in the second gave the Lions a 15-12 lead and a three from Maydew with 7:26 to go in the half gave the Lions a 20-14 lead. A three from the Bronchos tied the game at 22 with 6:19 to go and another three gave UCO a 25-22 lead with 4:23 to go.
 
A layup from Henry with 1:22 to go tied the game at 28, but the Lions went into the locker room, trailing 32-30 at the half.
 
The game was tied for the sixth time, this time at 34 with 8:49 left in the third, but a free throw from Buerge gave the Lions a 39-34 lead with 6:46 to go. The Southern lead was six (42-36) after a free throw from Bri Shavers-McNease with 5:35 to go, but UCO went on a 9-2 run to take a 45-44 lead with 2:10 to go.
 
A pair of free throws from Buerge with 31 seconds to go in the quarter tied the game at 46 going to the fourth.
 
Both teams struggled to score early in the fourth with just two points from the Bronchos being scored in the first five minutes of the period, both on free throws. A three from Holcomb, howver, with 4:48 to go gave the Lions a 49-48 lead.
 
After UCO had gone ahead 52-49, a three from Green and a running layup from Holcomb gave the Lions a 54-42 lead with 1:45 left in the quarter.
 
A pair of freebies from UCO with 53 seconds to go tied the game at 54 and the Lions called a timeout with 48 seconds left on the clock. Coming out of the timeout, Southern ran a play, but as time was running down, the Lions went to Holcomb and the senior hit a 26-footer off the glass to give the Lions a 57-54 lead with 24 seconds left.
 
UCO hit a pair of free throws to cut the lead to one at 57-56 the next trip down and the Lions called a timeout. Coming out of the timeout, the Bronchos had to foul Southern four times before the Lions hit the bonus and Henry hit both of the free throws to put Southern up 59-56 with 10 seconds left.
 
The Bronchos settled for a shot from the paint to get within one at 59-58 and Southern was fouled putting Henry at the line. She hit one of two to put Southern up 60-58 with four seconds left. UCO, however, got a three from Marley Anderson with 2.9 seconds left on the clock to go up 61-60 and the Lions could not get a shot off as time ran out.
 
Southern shot 37 percent from the field and 33 percent from the three-point line, making 83 percent of its free throws. UCO hit 38 percent from the field and 81 percent from the charity stripe. The Lions out-rebounded the much bigger Bronchos 37-34 and scored 22 points off of 18 UCO turnovers.
 
The Lions will be back in action next Saturday as Southern plays host to ninth-ranked Pittsburg State. Tip off from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is slated for 1 pm.