Wichita, Kan. – The Missouri Southern women's basketball game went up to Division-I Wichita State and nearly came away with a win inside Charles Koch Arena, falling in overtime 72-70.
 
The #19/6 Lions were led by Kaitlin Hunnicutt with 15 points, shooting 3-of-5 from three to go with four assists. Lacy Stokes added 13 points and eight rebounds, while Mira Khan scored nine points going 3-of-4 from three and Madi Stokes, Kryslyn Jones and Layne Skiles each had eight points with Madi grabbing a team high 16 rebounds and swatting four shots.
 
Wichita State was led by Dean Curtessia with 24 points and six rebounds. Jane Asinde was the top rebounder of the game with 17 and poured in 15 points, Trajata Colbert added 14 points and 11 rebounds as well. 
 
The first quarter saw Amaya Johns get on the board first for the Lions at 6:55 to make it a four point game (6-2). The lead got cut down to three (16-13) thanks to an 8-0 run by the Lions as a Khan buzzer beating three was assisted by Mia Topping.
 
Wichita State grabbed a hold of the second quarter and got a 15 point lead (30-15) with 3:01 left in the half. Southern would get a three from Jones with a minute and seven seconds left on the clock and a Lacy driving layup with 0.3 seconds went in to send the teams into the half at 30-20.
 
For the first half the Lions held the advantage in offensive rebounds (10-6), second chance points (7-5) and bench points (12-8) highlighted by Mia Topping with five points. Madi Stokes hauled in 10 rebounds in the half with four being offensive rebounds while Lacy Stokes and Amaya Johns each had five rebounds in the half.
 
The third quarter saw the momentum swing to the Lions as six three's were made and the Shockers' offense started to faulter. Lacy got it to within two (38-36) with 5:26 left in the third quarter which forced a Wichita State timeout and coming out of the timeout on the following Lion possession Khan made a three from a Hunnicutt assist with 4:41 left for the first lead of the game for the Lions (39-38).
 
For the rest of the third quarter it was a back-and-forth score line with two times and a lead change in the final four minutes as Lacy would send the Lions into the fourth quarter up 48-47 following a driving layup with around 30 seconds to go.
 
Coming into the fourth with a one-point lead the Lions quickly be trailing after a first possession three by Wichita State went in. For the first time in the game a Lion was at the free throw line with 8:09 left as Layne Skiles sank both of her free throws to tie it at 50-50, it would stay at 50 all until 5:30 where a Shockers fast break layup was made followed by a Madi Stokes layup from Hunnicutt to tie it 52-52 with 5:13 left.
 
A quick 5-0 run by the Shockers forced a timeout by the Lions and coming out of that timeout Southern went on a 8-0 run highlighted by a Hunnicutt layup with 1:05 left to make it a three-point lead (60-57). Wichita State called a timeout with a minute remaining and would score on their following possession to make it 60-59 in favor of the Lions. 
 
Southern had possession with 32 seconds left on the clock and following an offensive rebound and Shockers' foul with 12 seconds left, retained the ball with the shot clock turned off and ahead by one. Wichita State would foul with 5.5 and 3.0 seconds to have four team fouls before a inbound pass was deflected by the Shockers and called Lions' ball with 1.7 seconds left. 
 
The Lions were fouled with 1.3 seconds left and made the first free throw to go ahead 61-59 but the second free throw was missed and controlled by Asinde with 1.0 seconds to go as the Shockers called a timeout to advance the ball. On the ensuing inbound Wichita State made an entry pass to the block and made a layup with it leaving the Shocker players hand with 0.1 seconds left on the clock to send it into overtime tied 61 all.
 
The Lions controlled the tip and Madi Stokes would score off a Jones assist to take the early lead in the period. Lacy Stokes would reclaim the lead (65-63) with a layup with 3:12 left but the Shockers went on a 6-0 run to claim a 69-65 lead with 56 seconds left.
 
Hunnicutt drilled a three from a Jones' assist with 34.9 seconds left to make it 69-68 with the Lions calling a timeout following the make. Wichita State went to the free throw line with 23.8 seconds left and made both but the Lions would chip away as Jones collected an offensive rebound while being fouled and made both of her free throws with 7.6 seconds left to make it 71-70. 
 
Wichita State went to the line with 6.9 seconds remaining and made the first but missed the second. With the Lions the only players at the blocks, Southern collected the rebound and got off a three that would have won it had it went in. 
 
The Lions will begin the season on Saturday against #23 Lubbock Christian as both teams first game at the D2CCA Tip-Off Classic inside Municipal Auditorium with tip-off set for 3:30pm.

The Missouri Southern women's basketball season is presented by People's Bank of Seneca, a proud supporter of Lion Athletics.