CLAREMORE, Okla. – The Missouri Southern women’s basketball team utilized an historic performance by Madi Stokes and came away with an 81-78 overtime win over Rogers State inside the Claremore Expo Center today.
Southern (5-8, 5-8 MIAA) was led offensively by Stokes with a career-high 31 points shooting 13-of-19 from the field and 5-of-7 from the free throw line while grabbing a game-high 21 boards and swatting away seven shots. Stokes picks up her fourth double-double of the season, third career game with five-plus blocks tying Zoe Campbell (17-pres.) for the Southern career mark. Second 20+ rebound game this season the most in program history. Stokes is the first Lion to record a 30-point 20 rebound game and she tied a Southern record with seven blocks in the game (Zoe Campbell at Harding 11-9-19). Stokes is now tied for fifth in career shots blocked at Southern with Marie Scott (95-97) with 67.
Carley Turnbull had 12 points shooting 4-of-8 from the field and 4-of-5 from the free throw line while grabbing nine rebounds. Megan Jackson had 10 points shooting 6-of-8 from the free throw line and providing a team-high five assists.
Rogers State (4-9, 4-9 MIAA) was led offensively by Vanessa Gajdosova with 19 points going 5-of-9 from behind the three-point line while dishing out a game-high six assists.
Brooke Stuaffer got the Lions on top with a layup to set it at 4-2 with 9:01 remaining in the quarter. Megan Jackson cut the Hillcats’ lead to one (9-8) with 5:46 left off a jumper to end a 7-2 run by Rogers State.
In the quarter Rogers State went 10-of-10 from the free throw line.
The Lions opened up the second quarter on an 8-0 run as Madi Stokes capped the run with a face-up jumper from a Hunnicutt assist to take the 20-19 led with 7:22 left in the half. Following a Kloe Bowin layup for the Hillcats, Southern responded with a 6-0 run as Brooke Stauffer connected on a jumper with 3:50 remaining to push the lead to five (26-21). Layne Skiles would push the lead to six (31-25) with 38 seconds left in the half.
Southern limited the Hillcats to 13 percent shooting from the field in the quarter while shooting 57 percent themselves.
Stokes converted a turnaround jumper and-one to push the lead to four (37-33) with 7:40 left in the third. Rogers State went on a 6-0 run and led by two after a Kliewer three-point play (39-37) with 6:32 remaining. Stokes got the lead for the Lions’ with 5:05 left after converting on a layup to put it at (41-39). The Lions went on a 9-3 run capped off by Emily Kuntze sinking two free-throws to put it at (52-47) to end the quarter.
The Lions started the fourth on a 6-0 run that pushed the lead to 11 (58-47) forcing a Hillcats timeout. Rogers State responded with a 6-0 run as Alyche Brown sank two free throws to cut the lead to five with 5:19 left. Stokes pushed the lead back up to eight (65-57) with 1:54 left after hitting a free throw. The last minute of regulation saw the Hillcats go on an 11-5 run as Gajdosova hit a banked corner three with a second remaining in regulation to tie and send the game into overtime.
The Lions got their first points of overtime with a Stokes turnaround jumper to tie it at 73 with 4:43 remaining. Turnbull connected on a three-point play with 4:03 left to put Southern ahead by three (76-73). Rogers State came back with a 5-0 run to take the lead (78-76) after a Thompson free throw with 2:40 left. Turnbull answered with a put back layup with 58 seconds left before Jackson took the lead for good with two free throws with seven seconds remaining. Stokes put the finishing touches on her career night making a free throw with a second left.
Southern shot 50 percent from the field while limiting the Hillcats to 31 percent, out rebounded them 44-38, and scored more point in the paint 38-20.
The Lions will be back in action at Northeastern State this Saturday. Tip off from the NSU Event Center in Tahlequah is slated for 1:30 pm.
