Joplin, Mo.  – The Missouri Southern women's basketball program lost a back-and-forth battle tonight as the Lions fell 79-75 to Southwest Baptist inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
 
Southern (10-12, 6-8 MIAA) had four score in double-figures, led by 19 points from Chelsey Henry. Desirea Buurge had 16 points and nine rebounds, while Jenson Maydew had 14 points and ten rebounds. Dru Clark scored 14 points and added five boards and three assists.
 
SBU (15-8, 7-7 MIAA) was led by 21 points from Ray'Shionne Smith and 18 from Megan Rosenbohm.
 
A free throw from Clark with 7:12 left in the 1^st gave the Lions a 5-3 lead, and the lead was 7-3 after a layup from Henry with 6:22 left. SBU answered back and took an 8-7 lead with 5:21 left and the game was tied at 11 after a layup from Henry with 3:26 to go.
 
Buckets from Buerge gave the Lions a 15-13 lead and a three from Clark made the lead 18-13 with 32 seconds left. The Lions led 18-15 after one.
 
SBU started the second quarter on a 4-0 run and led 19-18 a little more than a minute into the quarter. The lead was 24-18 with 6:41 to go before a three from Kamiron Luptak got the Lions within three (24-21). A bucket from Buerge got the Lions within one (26-25) with 4:30 left and a pair of freebies from Buerge with 2:35 got the Lions within one (28-27) once again.
 
A three-point play from Clark put the Lions up 30-28 with 1:46 to go and that would be the halftime score.
 
Both teams traded baskets to start the third, but a 6-0 run mid-way through the quarter for the Lions, capped by a three-point play from Luptak gave the Lions a 42-36 lead with 6:10 to go. SBU went on a 13-7 run to tie the game at 49 and led 59-56 after three.
 
SBU led 66-56 with 6:45 left in the game and led by ten again (70-60) with 4:26 to go. A jumper from Clark with 1:39 left cut the lead to five (73-68), and a three from Maydew with 11 seconds left got the Lions within four (77-73), but that would be as close as they would get.
 
The Lions shot 44 percent from the field in the game. Southern had a 40-26 advantage in the paint.
 
Southern will be back in action this Saturday when the Lions play host to No. 4 Central Missouri. Tip off from Robert Corn Court is slated for 1:30 pm.