Joplin, Mo. – The Missouri Southern Women's Basketball team hosted the Emporia State University Hornets on Saturday, February 8 in a conference matchup. Missouri Southern took control early, with strong performances from
Ryan Franklin,
Grace Frazier, and
Kennady Roach, extending their lead throughout the game and holding off a series of Emporia State rallies. The Lions dominated the second half, finishing strong for an 85-68 victory.
Missouri Southern (16-9, 8-5 MIAA) vs. Emporia State (9-14,4-10)
Quarter 1: Missouri Southern 23 | Emporia State 15
The Lions quickly established control, with
Ryan Franklin scoring 10 points to give them a 10-1 lead. The Hornets responded with back-to-back baskets, narrowing the gap to seven points.
Morgan Meyers stopped their momentum, draining a three-pointer, followed by
Grace Frazier's layup and free throw, pushing Southern to a 17-7 lead with 4:35 remaining. Emporia fought back with a 6-0 rally to trim the deficit to four points.
Kennady Roach then sealed the Lions' eight-point advantage with a three-pointer in the final minute, extending their lead to 23-15 as they entered the second quarter.
Quarter 2: Missouri Southern 40 | Emporia State 28
Reese Webb and
Grace Frazier combined for a 6-0 run, pushing Southern's lead to 14 points with 8:07 remaining, 29-15. Emporia responded with an 11-3 rally, narrowing the gap to six points with 3:00 remaining, 32-26. The Lions increased their lead back to 12 points with a buzzer-beating three-pointer from
Kennady Roach, giving them a 40-28 advantage at halftime.
Quarter 3: Missouri Southern 65 | Emporia State 53
Emporia opened the second half with a jumper, but
Grace Frazier quickly answered with one of her own.
Ryan Franklin followed with a jumper, and Frazier added a second layup, pushing the lead to 46-30. Both teams traded baskets throughout the third quarter, each scoring 25 points. The Hornets capped the quarter with a three-pointer.
Quarter 4: Missouri Southern 85 | Emporia State 68
A pair of made Emporia free throws started the fourth quarter.
Mackenzie Hart drained the first Southern points of the quarter with a layup. At the 4:37 mark,
Veonce Powell ignited a Lions run with a free throw, followed by contributions from Hart,
Ryan Franklin, and
Kennady Roach, extending the lead to 18 points with 1:44 remaining. Southern wrapped up their scoring with a
Jacqueline Hall layup at the 24-second mark, securing an 85-68 victory.
Missouri Southern Leaders:
Points: Ryan Franklin - 22
Rebounds: Reese Webb - 11
Assists: Grace Frazier - 7
Steals: Ryan Franklin - 2
Blocks: Reese Webb - 1
Emporia State Leaders:
Points: Jayla Cornelius - 20
Rebounds: Makenzie McDaniel – 9
Assists: Jayla Cornelius – 3
Steals: Five Players – 1
Blocks: Makenzie McDaniel – 1
Up Next:
The Lions will be on the road on Thursday, February 13 when they take on the Northwest Missouri State University Bearcats in a conference matchup. Tip-off is set for 5:30 PM in Maryville, Mo. at the Bearcat Arena.
-Lions-
