WEATHERFORD, Okla. — Missouri Southern State (1-2) fell to Southwestern Oklahoma (2-1), 65-57, despite forcing 22 turnovers and scoring 20 points off those opportunities.
Missouri Southern State and Southwestern Oklahoma opened their matchup with a competitive first quarter, featuring multiple lead changes and ties.
Ashlyn Alloway initiated the scoring for Missouri Southern State with a tip-in at 9:37, giving them an early edge. The teams exchanged baskets, with Southwestern Oklahoma's Elle Papahronis contributing a fast-break jumper at 5:30 to edge ahead momentarily. Lacy Brough's three-pointer at 4:21 further extended Southwestern Oklahoma's lead to 18-11. Missouri Southern State responded with a late surge, including layups by
Camryn Smith and Alloway, tying the game at 19-19. However, Sincere Jackson's back-to-back layups in the final seconds pushed Southwestern Oklahoma to a 23-19 lead by the end of the quarter.
Southwestern Oklahoma extended its lead in the second quarter, outscoring Missouri Southern by a margin of 17-10. Papahronis contributed significantly with a three-pointer at 8:25, while Brough added a fastbreak layup at 4:14. Despite efforts from Missouri Southern's
Grace Frazier, who hit a three-pointer at 7:36, the visitors struggled to keep pace. Southwestern Oklahoma's Kiara Smith secured an offensive rebound and followed with a jumper at 4:34, helping maintain their momentum. The home team closed the quarter with a three-pointer from Kasidy Russell at 29 seconds remaining, wrapping up the period with a solid advantage.
The third quarter saw Missouri Southern make an effort to close the gap, but Southwestern Oklahoma maintained control. Alloway initiated scoring with a layup at 9:42, assisted by
Delaney Roller. Southwestern Oklahoma responded swiftly with a three-pointer from Piper Patterson at 9:23, widening their lead. MSSU's
Nariah Clay contributed with a fastbreak layup at 8:59, yet Southwestern answered with consistent scoring, including a jumper by Landry Allen at 6:14. Despite a late push from Missouri Southern, highlighted by a layup from
Nicole Lillard with 12 seconds remaining, Southwestern Oklahoma ended the quarter with a 55-41 lead.
In the fourth quarter, the Lions made a determined push, outscoring Southwestern Oklahoma State 16-10.
Hattie Pyle contributed significantly, securing a defensive rebound and quickly converting it into a tip-in at 9:37. Alloway added two free throws at 8:51, closing the gap after a defensive stop by Clay. Despite a late three-pointer from Pyle with just 40 seconds remaining, MSSU could not overcome Southwestern Oklahoma's lead, ultimately falling short in their comeback attempt. Southwestern Oklahoma's defense, highlighted by Allen's crucial block in the final seconds, helped them maintain their advantage until the buzzer.
