The Missouri Southern women’s basketball team made all ten of its free throws in the final minute of the game, while both Amaya Johns and Brooke Stauffer posted career-highs in a 96-85 win today over Rogers State on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
Southern (3-3, 3-3 MIAA) was led in scoring by Carley Turnbull who posted her second-straight 20-point game, pouring in 23 points, six rebounds and two assists. Johns scored 21 points on 7-of-9 from the field and 6-of-6 from the charity stripe, while Stauffer had 18 points, five rebounds and three assists. Layne Skiles had 16 points and five assists, while Madi Stokes had five blocks and Megan Jackson dished out seven assists.
Rogers State (1-3, 1-3 MIAA) had four score in double-figures, led by 16 points from Julie Luna.
Both teams traded baskets in the first quarter with neither team leading by more than three points the entire quarter. The score was tied at 12 after one.
The Lions trailed 10-7 late in the first quarter but started an 11-2 run that went into the second quarter that saw Southern lead 18-12 after a jumper from Amaya Johns two minutes into the second.
Back-to-back three’s from the Lions, first from Johns and second from Skiles, coupled with a layup from Johns pushed the Lions’ lead to five (28-23) with 4:49 to go in the quarter. A layup from Turnbull with 3:19 to go made the score 34-25 and a three from Kaitlin Hunnicutt gave Southern its largest lead of the afternoon at 37-25 the next trip down.
The Hillcats, however, closed the half on a 9-2 run as Southern led 39-35 at the break. The Lions shot 59 percent from the field in the half.
A running jumper off the glass from Johns pushed the Southern lead back to ten (48-38) with a little less than seven to go in the third, while a three from Stauffer with 2:40 to go pushed the lead to ten (57-47). A three from Skiles near the end of the quarter gave Southern a 62-49 lead after three.
The Lions kept their foot on the gas as a three from Biance Stocks with 8:50 to go made the score 68-51 and a three-point play from Turnbull gave the Lions a 71-53 lead with eight minutes to go. A pair of free-throws from Turnbull the next trip down pushed the lead to 20 (73-53), but RSU clawed back into the game, getting within seven (81-74) after a three with 1:47 to go.
Skiles matched the three pointer the next trip down and free throws from Stauffer and Johns inside a minute pushed the lead back to 13 (90-77) with 45 seconds to go and Southern was perfect from the free-throw line down the stretch.
The Lions shot 54 percent from the field and 50 percent from long-range, while making 81 percent of their free-throws. Southern assisted on 24 of its 31 made baskets. 95 points is the most points in an MIAA game for the Lions since 2017 when Southern scored 94 against Lincoln.
Southern will be back in action on December 17 when the Lions play host to Northwest Missouri. Tip off from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is slated for 5:30 pm.
