Joplin, Mo. – The Missouri Southern women's basketball team made it close late, but couldn't complete the comeback as the Lions fell 65-61 to Missouri Western inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

Southern (8-15, 5-10 MIAA) was led offensively by Destiny Cozart as she finished with 15 points and nine rebounds Layne Skiles had 13 points, while Kaiulani Jones scored 12 and Zoe Campbell added ten. Campbell had eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks on the night, putting her two blocks shy of setting the MSSU career record.

Western (18-6, 10-5 MIAA) had three score in double-figures, led by 16 points from Corbyn Cunningham. Chris Wilson and Katrina Rosenfeldt had 15 points each.

Western jumped out to a nine-point lead early on as the Griffons led 11-2 with just under six minutes left in the first quarter. The Western lead was ten (18-8) before the Lions went on a 6-0 run to end the quarter capped by a pair of freebies from Skiles to make the score 18-14 after one.

A jumper from Skiles to start the second quarter got Southern within two (18-16), but Western led by nine with 2:22 left in the quarter. A late jumper from Jones made the score 38-27, Griffons at the break.

Western got a three a minute into the third quarter to go up 14 (41-27), but the Lions kept chipping away. A jumper from Campbell with 3:17 left cut the lead to nine (47-38), while a layup from Stokes in the final minute of the quarter got the Lions within six (48-42) going to the fourth.

A jumper from Stokes with 8:07 on the clock in the fourth got the Lions within two (50-48), whie a paif of free throws from Skies with 6:27 left cut the lead to one (54-53). The Lions got within one once more (62-61) after a three from Cozart with a minute to go, but couldn't close the gap.

Southern shot 39 percent from the field and made all seven of their free throws.

The Lions will be back in action on Thursday when Southern travels to Maryville to take on Northwest Missouri. Tip off from Bearcat Arena is slated for 5:30 pm.