JOPLIN, Mo. – The Missouri Southern State women's basketball team held an advantage in bench points by outscoring Southwestern Oklahoma State 24-12, but could not capitalize as the Lions fell 84-70 to wrap up the GAC/MIAA Challenge presented by Drury Inn and Suites inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center Saturday afternoon.
MSSU (0-2) was led by junior guard
Chelsey Henry who scored 14 points and redshirt junior
Dru Clark adding 13 points from a combined 10 of 17 shooting. Forward
Jenson Maydew added 10 points and nine rebounds, while freshman
Ines Catalan Mateos also contributed 10 points in the loss.
SWOSU improved to 2-0 on the season after forward Haley Tucker registered a double-double, leading all players with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Tyra Aska went 9-for-17 from the field for 21 points, while Hayden Priddy added 16.
Both teams started out slow going three minutes without a bucket until Maydew opened the scoring with a jumper where from that point on the two teams exchanged baskets, concluding with a three-pointer by Jenson to give the Lions a 19-18 lead to end the first quarter.
The Lions would stretch the lead to three for their largest of the game early on in the second period, but could not hang on as the Bulldogs tacked on seven points off of turnovers to take a 37-33 advantage into halftime.
Southern cut into the deficit and found themselves within two at the 5:34 mark of the third which would be the closest it would get for the rest of regulation despite finishing 46 percent from the field compared to SWOSU at 41 percent.
Women's basketball is back in action as the Lions travel to take on Harding inside Rhodes-Reaves Field House on Nov. 14 at 5:30 pm.
