ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The Missouri Southern women’s basketball program got 13 points from Carly Turnbull, but the Lions fell 78-54 on the road to the Griffons of Missouri Western inside the MWSU Fieldhouse.
Southern (7-11, 7-11 MIAA) was led by Turnbull’s 13 points shooting 5-of-9 from the field and grabbing six rebounds. Madi Stokes had eight points and a block, while Hailey Grant finished with a career-high six points and Emily Kuntze tied a season-high with three assists.
Stokes has 41 blocks on the season passing Tynesha Pierce (06-07) and Zoe Campbell (18-19) for third in school history.
Missouri Western (4-11, 4-11 MIAA) was led by Brionna Budgetts and Logan Hughes with 14 points each. Mary Fultz chipped in with 13 points and a game-high eight rebounds. Camille Evans had nine points, three assists and five steals as well.
The Lions started the game with an 8-2 run capped off by a Turnbull jumper from a Biance Stocks assist with 5:47 remaining in the quarter. Kailtin Hunnicutt got the lead up to seven (13-6) with a three from a Stocks’ assist with 3:46 left.
The Griffons went on a 8-0 run to take the lead with 1:08 remaining before Grant connected on a three from a Hunnicutt feed with 47 seconds remaining to send the Lions ahead (16-14) at the conclusion of the quarter.
Turnbull claimed the lead back after both teams traded baskets with a layup off an offensive rebound with 8:05 remaining making the score 20-19. The Griffons responded with a 13-0 run before an Amaya Johns free throw stopped it, as at the half the Griffons led by 13.
Megan Jackson cut the deficit to 12 with a jumper and-one (26-38) with 8:44 remaining in the third quarter, before a 6-0 run by the Griffons extended the lead.
A made free throw from Grant with 8:19 remaining cut the lead to 20 but that was as close as the Lions got in the quarter.
For the game the Lions shot 33 percent from the field and 76.5 from free throws, winning the assist battle with 13 and second chance points 8.