KEARNEY, Neb. — The Missouri Southern women’s basketball team, through a balanced effort, outlasted the Nebraska-Kearney Lopers 59-56 inside the Health and Sports Center to clinch the tenth seed in the MIAA Tournament next week.
The Lions (14-15, 6-13 MIAA) end the season tied with SBU in the final MIAA standings, but win the tiebreaker due to head-to-head results with the Bearcats. Southern also avenged an earlier loss over the Lopers, after falling by six at home in the first meeting.
Junior Chasidee Owens registered a team-high 11 points while Destiny Cozart added ten points (2-for-5 3FG), four rebounds, and three assists.
Jordan Schoenberger and Krista Clark combined for 17 points and ten rebounds off the bench along with Chelsey Henry and Morgan Brightwell each pouring in seven points towards the huge victory.
MSSU fell behind early 10-7 entering the first media timeout, but responded by connecting on back-to-back 3-pointers by Layne Skiles and Cozart to go up 13-10 and end the first quarter tied at 13-13. Both teams traded leads in the second quarter where the Lions eventually headed into the break down two (29-27).
The Lopers (15-13, 8-11 MIAA) came out of the break stretching their lead to the largest of the game at nine (39-31) with 4:30 left in third quarter. Clark got the Lions going with a 3-pointer to begin a 9-2 run that concluded with 3-pointer from Cozart with .01 left in the third to put the Lions in front 45-43.
Back-to-back baskets by Owens and Cozart increased the Lions’ lead to six and they never looked back, preventing the Lopers from tying the ball game on two occasions within 30 seconds remaining in the game.
Southern will be back in action next week as the Lions will take on 7th-seeded Central Oklahoma as part of opening night inside Kansas City’s Municipal Auditorium on Wednesday at 8:15 pm.
