Joplin, Mo. – The Missouri Southern women's basketball team utilized a big third quarter and the Lions defeated Culver-Stockton 73-51 tonight on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
 
Southern (7-3) got 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting from Destiny Cozart. Cozart added five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Krista Clark scored 15 points and Chelsey Henry added 11 points.
 
Culver Stockton (6-6) got 12 points from Lacey Clark in the game.
 
Southern jumped out to a quick 5-0 start and led 8-2 after a three from Clark with 5:37 left in the first. A three from Cozart with 1:30 left made the score 13-2 and a three from Cozart as time was expiring gave the Lions a 16-5 lead after one.
 
The Lions led 23-13 midway through the second quarter after a jumper from Zoe Campbell. The Wildcats, however, closed the half on an 8-2 run and Southern led 25-21 at the break.
 
CSC cut the Lions' lead to just two (29-27) with 8:32 left in the third quarter. Southern, however, went to work and quickly pushed the lead to nine (36-27) after a layup from Jordan Schoenberger with 7:17 to go in the quarter. Southern closed the quarter on a 14-3 run and led 54-38 after three.
 
A three pointer from Cozart with nine minutes to go in the quarter pushed the Southern lead to 17 (57-40), while a bucket from Cozart with 2:40 left made the lead 68-47. A three from Kai Jones gave the Lions their largest lead of the game (22) with 38 seconds left and proved to be the final points.
 
Southern outscored CSC 29-17 in the third and 19-13 in the fourth.
 
The Lions will be back in action on Wednesday afternoon with a 2 pm game against Illinois-Springfield.