TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — The Missouri Southern women’s basketball team fended off a late rally by Northeastern State to win 68-61 behind Madi Stokes’ 20 points inside the NSU Events Expo on Saturday.
Southern (6-8, 6-8 MIAA) was led offensively by Stokes with 20 points shooting 8-of-12 from the field, 4-of-4 from the free throw line while collecting 18 rebounds. Carley Turnbull had 16 points and five rebounds while dishing out three assists. Layne Skiles had eight points going 2-of-4 from behind the three-point line, Megan Jackson had seven points going a team-high 5-of-6 from the free throw line and Brooke Stauffer had a career-high four assists. Kaitlin Hunnicutt and Amaya Johns led the bench scoring effort with five points each.
Northeastern State. (4-10, 4-10 MIAA) was led offensively by Zaria Collins with 13 points and had a team-high seven rebounds. Cenia Hays had 12 points going 2-of-4 from behind the three-point line, and Kiarra Brooks led all bench scorers with 10 points going 2-of-4 from the three-point line.
Stokes got the scoring started for Southern with a jumper at the free throw line from a Megan Jackson assist with 8:51 on the clock. On the next possession for the Lions’ Stokes would give them the lead this time from a Stauffer assist with 7:29 remaining.
Turnbull ended a 7-0 run by Southern with a three from a Hailey Grant feed with 1:15 left to push the lead to six (15-9).
Turnbull hit the first basket of the second quarter for Southern with 9:03 remaining to push the lead to seven (20-13). Stokes finished off a 9-0 run by the Lions’ with two free throws as 2:48 was left in the half that stretched the score to 33-19. Hailey Grant hit a jumper with 1:03 left in the half to put the lead back to 14 before the RiverHawks hit a free throw with under a second left on the clock to go into halftime up 36-23.
In the half, Southern shot 54 percent from the field and had 11 points off 11 Northeastern State turnovers.
On the first possession of the second half Skiles connected on a turnaround jumper from a Turnbull feed to push to a game-high 15 (38-23). Northeastern State ended the quarter on a 11-3 run after exchanging baskets with the Lions’ for most of the quarter. Hunnicutt hit a three with 23 seconds remaining to cool the RiverHawks run.
The fourth quarter was a back-and-forth contest as the RiverHawks got their first lead since 4:19 left in the first quarter with 4:53 remaining in the game. Coming out of a media timeout Stokes made two free throws to equal the score at 54 with 4:38 left.
Skiles connected on a three on the next possession for Southern to regain the lead, Collins responded with a layup for the RiverHawks in their next possession. After Collins layup the Lions’ went on a 9-0 run to seal the game as Anna Hall hit free throws with 2:38 left to put the game out of the RiverHawks reach (63-56).
Next up for Southern is a return home to start a three-game week. Northwest Missouri is the opponent for Tuesday with tip-off from the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center set at 5:30 p.m.
