The Missouri Southern women’s basketball team had four score in double figures, but the Lions couldn’t overcome a first-half deficit and fell at home to Pittsburg State 78-60 on Saturday.
Southern (7-13) was led in scoring by 14 points from Amaya Johns, who added seven rebounds off the bench. Carley Turnbull scored 13, while Hailey Grant scored a career-high 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field. Madi Stokes scored 10 and pulled down nine boards with two blocks. The two blocks gives her 43 on the season and puts her in second place all-time on the MSSU single-season block list.
Pittsburg State (13-7) had three in double-figures. Kaylee DaMitz led the way with 17 points, while Sydnee Crain added 16 and Tristan Gegg finished with 15. DaMitz added eight rebounds and three assists.
The Gorillas jumped out to a 10-2 lead at the 6:19 mark of the first quarter, but a 3-pointer from Turnbull and a layup from Layne Skiles cut the deficit to 10-7 with 5:35 to go. A pair of free throws from Stokes cut the lead to two with three minutes to go. The Gorillas led 18-16 the next trip down before closing the quarter on a 10-0 run to lead 28-16..
The Pittsburg State run reached 20-2, as the Gorillas led 38-18 halfway through the second quarter.
PSU pushed its lead to 60-30 midway through the third, but a 10-3 run from the Lions made the score 60-43 and forced a Gorillas’ timeout. A free throw from Pittsburg State as time expired made the score 66-42 after three.
A layup from Megan Jackson off an assist from Turnbull got the Lions within 17 with 5:41 to go on the clock, and a pair of free throws from Johns with two minutes to go brought Southern within 18 of the lead but that would be as close as they would get.
The Lions shot 84 percent from the free-throw line and out rebounded the Gorillas 42-38 in the contest. Points in the paint were even at 28, while the Southern bench out-scored the Gorillas’ 29-19.
Southern will be back in action this Thursday when the Lions play host to Washburn. Tip off from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is set for 5:30 p.m.
