Pittsburg, Kan. - The Missouri Southern women's basketball program picked up its 13th straight win this afternoon beating Pittsburg State 77-74 inside John Lance Arena to complete the first season sweep against the Gorillas since the 2006-07 season as Lacy Stokes rewrote freshman scoring records.

The Lions (20-5, 17-3 MIAA) were led by Lacy Stokes with 36 points going 12-of-22 from the field, 4-of-9 from three and 8-of-10 from free throws while adding seven assists and seven rebounds. Lacy passed Patti Killian's (1977-78) freshman scoring record of 453 and her 36 points set a new freshman single-game record that was previously set this season against Central Oklahoma by Stokes. Currently with 470 points Lacy has scored the 18th most points in a single-season in school history, her 18.8 points per game average is the best among freshman and ranks eighth overall, additionally no other freshman in school history has scored 30 or more points in a game while Lacy has scored 30 or more points twice this season.

Lacy's 36 points tonight is tied for the seventh most points scored in a single-game and the most since Desirea Buerge also scored 36 points in the 2017-18 season. This was also the second most points scored by a Lion against Pitt State with Sonya Harlin scoring 42 points in the 1993-94 season opener (November 23, 1993) against the Gorillas in a 97-68 win at home.

Layne Skiles and Amaya Johns provided 10 points each with Johns playing in only 16 minutes tonight due to foul trouble. Kaitlin Hunnicutt and Madi Stokes chipped in with eight points each with Madi coming away with a team-high eight rebounds as well.

Pitt State (15-11, 10-10 MIAA) was led by Jayme Jackson with 23 points, Erin Davis had 17 points going 5-of-7 from three while pulling down eight rebounds, Tristan Gegg had 14 points to go with eight assists a game-high and Julia Johnson had 12 points and 11 rebounds as well.

In a quarter that saw 56 points scored the lead was only changed once as the Gorillas scored first before the Lions took a 4-2 lead and never relinquished it throughout the game. A quick two minute 12-2 run by the Lions made it 16-6 with 5:13 left in the first quarter following a Johns jumper that was assisted by Lacy Stokes. The climax of the quarter came in a minute thirty burst that saw five three's go in and the Lions taking a 25-14 lead with 2:54 left in the quarter. 

As a quick 5-2 run by the Gorillas to close out the first quarter trimmed the Lion lead to eight (32-24), in the quarter the Lions shot 75 percent from the field that included going 5-of-6 from three in the quarter after only making one three all game on Saturday against the Gorillas.

The second quarter saw the dominant Lion defense of the past month with the Gorillas shooting 18.2 percent from the floor in the quarter and the Lions utilized a perfect shooting quarter from Lacy Stokes. After scoring the first points of the quarter Lacy went on a 10-0 run by herself that included hitting two three's to push the Lion lead to 45-29 with 3:57 left in the half. Pitt State responded with a 9-2 run to trim the lead to nine (47-38) before Hailey Grant and Lacy Stokes sank a pair of free throws each to send Southern ahead 52-38 at the half. During the quarter Lacy Stokes went 5-of-5 from the field and 2-of-2 from three for 13 points in the quarter and set some history as well.

At the half with 20 points scored Lacy moved past Patti Killian's 1977-78 scoring total of 453 that was the freshman school record, it wasn't the only freshman scoring record she would break tonight.

To begin the third quarter Layne Skiles connected on a three that was assisted by Lacy Stokes for the largest lead of the game 55-38, Pitt State punched back with a 11-0 run to make the lead six (55-49) with 5:12 left in the quarter. Following a Lacy Stokes jumper the Gorillas went on a 6-0 run to close the lead to two (57-55) the closest it had been since tying it up 4-4 in the first quarter. A 7-2 Lacy Stokes run to end the quarter had the Lions up 64-57 with Lacy scoring her 29th point of the game.

With 8:07 left in the fourth quarter Lacy Stokes became the first freshman in school history to score 30 or more points in two games (no freshman before this season had scored 30 points in a game) and moved the Lion lead to eight (70-62). Hitting a three with 3:56 Lacy set a new freshman single-game scoring record surpassing her total of 33 points against Central Oklahoma to begin MIAA play and pushed the Lions ahead 75-66 and ultimately out of reach of the Gorillas with the Lions winning 77-74.

As a team the Lions held the advantage over the Gorillas in three point percentage (40.9-39.1), free throw percentage (85.7-81.3), steals (3-2), bench points (15-3), points off turnovers (11-3), and forced Pitt State into more turnovers (9-4).

Up next the Lions begin the final week of the regular season with Washburn in Topeka, Kan. with tip off from Lee Arena on Thursday February 24th set for 5:30 pm and will be the Ichabods' senior day as well.