SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Missouri Southern State fell to the University of Mary, 76-73, in a tightly contested matchup that featured nine ties and eight lead changes. The Lions capitalized on turnovers, scoring 26 points from Mary's 25 turnovers.
Missouri Southern initiated play with a strong defensive presence, quickly capitalizing on turnovers.
Nariah Clay and
Grace Frazier led the offensive charge, each contributing crucial points in the paint. Mary briefly responded with a jumper from Anna Lenzen at 6:47 to narrow the gap, but
Ashlyn Alloway's consistent scoring, including a three-pointer at 3:02, kept Southern ahead. As the clock wound down,
Camryn Smith extended their lead with a fast-break layup at 32 seconds, sealing the first quarter with the Lions leading 24-16.
Bergen Kinnebrew's layup at 7:12 in the second quarter brought Mary within four points, narrowing the gap to 27-23. Despite turnovers on both sides, Mary managed to tie the game at 27-27 with a layup by Kinnebrew at 4:51. Alloway of Missouri Southern responded with a layup at 2:13, assisted by Clay, pushing them ahead 30-31.
Delaney Roller then secured the lead with a 3-pointer at the 27-second mark, ending the quarter 35-32 in favor of the Lions.
The third quarter saw the Lions take an early lead with Alloway converting a layup assisted by
Makenna Yokley at 9:45. Mary responded with a three-pointer from Allison Undlin, narrowing the gap. Frazier of Missouri Southern scored consecutively with layups at 8:36 and 7:15, extending their lead to 43-35. However, Mary rallied back, with Emily Jaenke hitting a crucial three-pointer at 5:35 to tie the game at 45. Kinnebrew's consistent scoring, including two free throws at 3:47, helped propel Mary to a 59-55 lead by the end of the quarter.
The final quarter was characterized by a series of lead changes and strategic plays. Frazier initiated the action for the Lions with a steal just three seconds into the quarter, followed by an assist to Alloway for a fast-break layup, trimming the deficit to two points. Jaenke responded for Mary with a layup, maintaining their lead. Southern's Roller hit a crucial three-pointer at 5:55, giving her team a one-point lead at 70-69. However, Mary regained the edge with free throws from Jaenke and Kinnebrew in the closing minutes. Despite a late layup by Yokley for the Lions, Kinnebrew's pair of free throws with nine seconds remaining secured a 76-73 victory for Mary.
