Joplin, Mo. – The Missouri Southern Women's Basketball team hosted the Rogers State University Hillcats in a conference matchup. An overtime thriller came down to a free throw battle in the final seconds, with the Lions capitalizing to edge out the Hillcats 78-75.
Missouri Southern (13-7, 5-3 MIAA) vs. Rogers State (7-10, 1-7 MIAA)
Quarter 1: Missouri Southern 21 | Rogers State 14
Both teams traded baskets through the first four minutes of action, tying the game at 6-6.
Reese Webb found
Mackenzie Hart for a corner three-pointer and sparked a 9-2 run for the Lions to take a 15-8 lead with 3:00 remaining in the first quarter.
Makenna Yokley came off the bench and scored four of the Lions' six points to close out the quarter, but the Hillcats answered with six of their own, leaving the Lions with a 21-14 lead.
Quarter 2: Missouri Southern 41 | Rogers State 25
Reese Webb and
Kaitlin Hunnicutt combined for a quick 4-0 run to start the second quarter, but the Rogers State answered with their own, cutting the lead to 25-18 with 6:54 on the clock. Hunnicutt (layup),
Mia Topping (three-pointer),
Grace Frazier (layup) and
Makenna Yokley (layup) outscored the Hillcats 9-4 over the following minutes, extending the Lions lead to 34-22 with 4:28 remaining. Following a jumper from Rogers State, Frazier answered with a step-back three-pointer, sparking a 7-1 run that gave Southern a commanding 41-25 lead as the first half ended.
Quarter 3: Missouri Southern 57 | Rogers State 47
The Hillcats opened the third quarter with an 8-2 run to cut their deficit to 10 points, 46-33, with 6:42 remaining.
Kaitlin Hunnicutt halted their momentum with a three-pointer from the top of the key, but the Hillcats quickly countered with a 4-0 run, trimming their deficit to 46-37 with five minutes to go. Rogers State kept the pressure on, answering a jumper from
Veonce Powell with an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to just three points, 48-45.
Grace Frazier hit a clutch three-pointer as the shot clock hit zero and sparked a 9-2 run for the Lions to close out the third quarter with a 57-47 lead.
Quarter 4: Missouri Southern 69 | Rogers State 69
Rogers State mounted a 13-4 run to close the gap to just one point, 61-60, with just over five minutes left in the game.
Makenna Yokley sparked the Lions' offense, scoring four of their six points in the paint, but the Hillcats answered with seven points to tie the game at 67-67 with 1:00 remaining.
Veonce Powell knocked down a jumper to tie the game at 69-69 with 24 seconds remaining. The Hillcats were off target in their final shot, sending the game into overtime.
Overtime: Missouri Southern 78 | Rogers State 75
Makenna Yokley opened overtime with a driving layup, followed by a free throw from
Veonce Powell, as the Lions took a 72-69 lead with 3:30 remaining. The Hillcats responded with a 4-0 run to take a one-point advantage, 73-72. An offensive rebound, and a layup from Yokley tied the game at 75-75 with 40 seconds remaining.
Grace Frazier stepped to the free throw line and sank both attempts, putting the Lions ahead 77-75 with just 17.1 seconds left. Southern's defense forced a miss from Rogers State, and
Ava Pautz secured the rebound before sinking a crucial free throw, sealing the Lions' 78-75 overtime victory.
Missouri Southern Leaders:
Points: Makenna Yokley - 21
Rebounds:
Reese Webb - 9
Assists:
Grace Frazier,
Mackenzie Hart - 3
Steals: Grace Frazier - 2
Blocks: Reese Webb - 2
Rogers State Leaders:
Points: Ella Hafer - 22
Rebounds: Ella Hafer - 10
Assists: Kate Melton - 3
Steals: Cheyan McDaniel - 2
Blocks: Jaiana Wiggins - 2
Up Next:
Missouri Southern Women's Basketball will host the Pittsburg State University Gorillas on Saturday, January 25. Tip-off is set for 1:30 PM in Leggett and Platt Athletic Center.
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