PITTSBURG, KAN. – The Missouri Southern women’s basketball team held a ten-point halftime lead, but Pittsubrg State utilized a 12-0 run over the end of the third quarter into the fourth and held off the Lions 70-67 today inside John Lance Arena.
Southern (4-4, 4-4 MIAA) was led offensively from Carley Turnbull as the senior scored 18 points and added seven rebounds. Kaitlin Hunnicutt scored a career-high 15 points going 5-of-10 from the field, while Madi Stokes and Zoe Campbell had eight rebounds each. Campbell finished with a season-high eight points, while Biance Stocks dished out a game and career-high seven assists.
Pitt (6-3, 6-3 MIAA) was led in scoring by Kaylee DaMitz with 25 points.
A three-pointer from Hunnicutt with 4:41 left in the first quarter gave the Lions a 12-6 lead early on while a layup from Biance Stocks with two minutes to go in the quarter pushed the lead to eight (20-18). The Lions led 22-17 after one.
A bucket from Turnbull with 8:18 left in the 2nd pushed the lead to eight (27-19), but a bucket from Pitt’s DaMitz with six minutes to go got the Gorillas within one (27-26). A three from Turnbull the next trip down and a jumper from Stocks with 4:15 to go pushed the lead back to six (32-26) for the Lions. A three from Hunnicutt with three on the clock pushed the lead to seven (35-28), while a layup from Hailey Grant and a free throw from Anna Hall gave the Lions a ten-point lead (38-28) at halftime.
A jumper from Turnbull two minutes into the third quarter pushed the Southern lead to 12 (40-28), but the Gorillas would claw back and get within one (40-39) after a bucket from DaMitz with 2:51 left in the third quarter. Southern responded, however, as the Lions went on a 12-4 run to lead 52-43 with 1:22 to go in the quarter. Pitt answered back with a 7-0 run of their own to end the third quarter with the Lions leading 52-50.
Pitt utilized a 12-0 run in the fourth to stretch the lead out to six in the fourth quarter before Turnbull got the Lions on the board in the quarter with two made free throws. A Stocks and-one cut the deficit to three (62-59) with 4:51 remaining.
A Hunnicutt layup with 1:07 left to go cut the deficit to four (68-64), while Turnbull connected on a three with 24 seconds remaining to get the Lions within one (68-67). Southern trailed by three with seven seconds left but couldn’t complete the comeback.
The Lions shot 40 percent from the field and had a 44-35 advantage on the boards. Southern had a 20-10 advantage in second-chance points while the Lions scored 39 points off the bench, including the first points of the year for Hailey Grant.
Southern will be back in action on January 14 as the Lions travel to Washburn. Tip off from Lee Arena is set for 5:30 pm.
