St. Joseph, Mo. – The Missouri Southern Women's Basketball team, plagued by turnovers, fell 77-65 to Missouri Western Saturday afternoon inside the MWSU Fieldhouse.
 
Missouri Western (12-3, 4-2 MIAA) jumped out early but The Lions (9-6, 4-2 MIAA) battled back as the lead changed a total of seven times in the first 10 minutes before Western used a 10-0 run to take a 20-14 lead into the quarter break.
 
The second quarter saw the Griffons open the lead to eight at 24-16 before senior Amelia Bramer drained a three from the right corner off the assist from sophomore Chelsey Henry to make it 24-19 at the 6:57 mark. A 7-2 run made it a 10-point ball game at 31-21 with just over three and a half to play in the second. A 6-0 run by the Lions with a free throw from senior Deb Holcomb and five points from sophomore Desirea Buerge cut the lead down to four at 31-27. Missouri Western outscored Southern 4-2 over the final two minutes to take a 35-29 lead into the locker room.
 
The Griffons opened the third quarter on an 8-2 run to expand their margin to 11, 42-31, before a jumper from junior Jenson Maydew hit a short jumper from the right block to cut the lead down to single digits at the seven-minute mark. The Lions then used a 7-0 run, three from Holcomb, two from junior Jasmine Green, and two from Maydew, to cut the lead down to 46-40 with 3:47 left in the third. Missouri Western answered right back with three straight three pointers to go up 14, 55-41, and went into the quarter break up 57-45.
 
The Griffons opened the fourth quarter on a 5-0 run to expand their lead to 17, the largest of the afternoon, at 62-45. Southern answered right back with a 10-2 run to cut the lead to nine, 64-55, with a three from Maydew at the top of the key forcing a Griffons time out at the 7:51 mark. The Lions expanded that run to 13-3 as they cut the Missouri Western lead down to 65-58 after a pair of free throws from Henry at the 4:50 mark. That would be the closest the Lions would get as Missouri Western hit their free throws down the stretch to pull away with the 77-65 win.
 
The Lions shot 43.8 percent, 21-for-48, from the field while Missouri Western finished the game at 52.8 percent, 28-for-53. Holcomb led Southern with 18 points, while Buerge added 15 and Green tied her career-high with 12 points. Five Griffons scored in double figures with Julia Torres leading with way with 17 points.
 
Southern will return to action next Thursday January 17th when they host Lindenwood University. Tip-off inside The Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.