Quincy, Ill. — Missouri Southern State (2-2, 0-0 Mid-America Intercollegiate) defeated Quincy University (2-1, 0-0 GLVC), 86-68, with a significant 44-25 rebounding advantage and 24 second-chance points.
Missouri Southern holds a 2-2 overall record. Quincy is currently 2-1 overall.
Delaney Roller led the team with 23 points, converting 7 of 14 attempts from beyond the arc and adding two steals.
Nariah Clay scored 20 points and recorded five rebounds, along with four assists and two steals.
Hattie Pyle contributed with eight points and collected nine rebounds, while also tallying two steals.
Grace Frazier added seven points and made three steals, providing additional defensive support.
Missouri Southern State began the game with a dominant first quarter, taking an early lead over Quincy.
Nariah Clay opened the scoring with a layup at 9:39, assisted by
Makenna Yokley, and continued to be a key player, adding a three-pointer at 6:07 and another at 0:03, bringing the score to 24-10 by the end of the quarter. Missouri Southern capitalized on their second-chance opportunities, collecting seven offensive rebounds and converting them into points. Quincy struggled with turnovers, committing nine in the quarter, which the Lions converted into eight points. The quarter ended with Missouri Southern leading 24-10.
MSSU extended their advantage in the second quarter, opening with a strong performance. Clay's layup at 9:10 kept the visitors ahead, while
Lilly Thomas added a three-pointer at 8:40, assisted by Yokley, further widening the lead.
Delaney Roller contributed significantly with a three-pointer at 2:54 followed by another at the 50-second mark, assisted by Clay. Despite a late three-pointer by Hampton Williams with two seconds remaining, Quincy trailed 46-28 by the end of the quarter. Missouri Southern capitalized on turnovers, scoring 7 points off turnovers and maintaining defensive pressure with four steals.
The Lions maintained their advantage in the third quarter, securing a 68-46 lead over Quincy. Roller was instrumental, hitting three 3-pointers, including one at the 4:30 mark assisted by Clay, to extend their lead.
Ashlyn Alloway contributed with strong play in the paint, converting a layup and a jumper to keep the offensive momentum. Quincy struggled with turnovers, committing seven in the quarter, which limited their ability to close the gap despite Blair Eftink's early 3-pointer and Katey Flynn's fast-break layup.
In the fourth quarter, Southern's Roller contributed significantly with two three-pointers, the first at 6:41 and the second at 5:36, extending their lead over Quincy. Southern's Alloway added four free throws early in the quarter, while
Grace Frazier's layup and free throw at 2:19 further solidified their advantage. Quincy responded with a three-pointer from Flynn at 5:49 and a few layups, but Southern maintained control. In the final minutes,
Camryn Smith's layup assisted by Thomas at 0:34 wrapped up the quarter with Southern securing an 86-68 victory.
