Joplin, Mo. – The Missouri Southern women's basketball team lost in heart breaking fashion tonight inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center, falling 68-64 against the visiting Central Missouri Jennies
 
For the Lions (6-3, 3-1 MIAA) the loss snapped a six-game winning streak and is the first setback in MIAA play. True freshman guard Lacy Stokes led the effort tonight with 19 points, eight assists and seven rebounds to go with two steals. Junior forward Amaya Johns had a bench-high 11 points and five rebounds to go with two assists a new season high. Junior forward Layne Skiles hit double-digits finishing with 10 points going 3-of-6 from the field and had seven rebounds, three of which were offensive.
 
The Jennies (7-4, 3-1 MIAA) were led by Nija Collier with 27 points and 12 rebounds going 12-of-14 from free throws. Olivia Nelson had 15 points and three rebounds and assists, while Kade Hackerott added 14 points, eight rebounds along and two blocks.
 
In the first quarter the Jennies got out to an 8-0 lead before Johns connected on a three from a Lacy Stokes' assist with 6:29 on the clock. The Lions went on a 10-4 run capped by back-to-back driving layups from Lacy Stokes to cut the lead to two (12-10) with 3:17 remaining in the quarter. Southern ended the quarter with a Cameron Call three and a Lacy Stokes driving layup with 35 seconds remaining to head into the second period down by one (16-15). 
 
Sophomore center Madi Stokes got her first start of the season put the Lions ahead the first time (19-18) in the second quarter with a layup, assisted by Lacy Stokes with 8:25 left. The Jennies responded with a 5-1 run to reclaim the led (23-20) with 5:02 left in the first half before Johns knocked down a pull-up jumper assisted by graduate guard Brooke Stauffer to cut the UCM lead to one (23-22). Madi Stokes beat the halftime buzzer for the Lions and cut the UCM lead to one with Lacy Stokes picking up her fourth assist of the game, as the teams went into the intermission at 27-26.
 
UCM came out of the halftime with a 5-2 run before Lacy Stokes tied it up at 32 with 8:16 left in the third. Southern took its first lead of the second half (35-34) when Call knocked down a three with Johns picking up an assist with 4:20 remaining. The Jennies responded with a 6-2 run to reclaim the lead and make it a three-point defect before the Lions answered back with an 8-2 run to close quarter, leading 45-42.
 
Skiles opened the scoring for the Lions in the fourth quarter with a layup, as Lacy Stokes got her fifth assist of the game, and the Lions had a five point 47-42 lead. The largest lead of the game for the Lions occurred with 4:37 left in regulation following a made three by Skiles that Lacy Stokes assisted on making it 58-51 in favor of the Lions.
 
The Jennies answered with a 12-5 run, reclaiming the lead 63-60 with 1:13 left in the game. The Lions got within one following two made free throws from Skiles but couldn't tie or reclaim the lead as a late layup attempt by Lacy Stokes missed and the final score was 68-64.
 
As a team, the Lions shot better than the Jennies (35.9-33.9), they made more three's (7-2), had more assists (13-6), steals (7-5), led the turnover battle (9-12), had more bench points (19-0), held the Jennies to zero fast-break points and had the advantage in points off turnovers (12-7).

Up next for the Lions will be Lincoln on Saturday to close out the 2021 portion of the season. Tip off from the Leggett and Platt Athletic Center is set for 1:30 pm.