ST. JOSEPH – For the second-straight game, the Missouri Western women’s basketball team (10-7, 3-5 MIAA) fell in heartbreaking fashion. Missouri Western fought back from a 14-point second half deficit before falling 86-82 in two overtimes to Southwest Baptist (10-6, 2-5 MIAA), Monday night.

Southwest Baptist outscored Missouri Western 11-7 in the second overtime to secure their second-straight MIAA win. Nine of those SBU points in the final period came via free throws on nine attempts. Southwest Baptist went a combined 4-for-8 from the field in the two overtimes, but went 12-for-15 from the free throw line.

NOTABLES
– Missouri Western trailed by 14 with 5:44 left in the third quarter before an 8-2 run followed by an 8-0 run pulled the Griffs within three early in the fourth quarter

– Down by eight with 5:43 to go, Missouri Western went on an 11-0 run to take a three-point lead with 1:49 left

– Southwest Baptist tied the game at 65 with 35 seconds left on two free throws

– Missouri Western opened the second overtime with a 6-0 run. Southwest Baptist ended the period on an 11-1 run

– Five Griffons fouled out of the game, playing the final 17 seconds with just four players

– Melia Richardson led all scorers with 29 points, besting her previous career-high by 14 points. Richardson was 9-of-18 from the field and made 10 of the Griffons’ 14 free throws

– KeShara Scott scored a career-high 16 points

– Southwest Baptist shot 86 percent at the free throw line (38-44) with the Griffons shooting 67 percent (14-21)

– The loss was the Griffons’ fourth-straight overall and fifth-straight in MIAA play

UP NEXT
Missouri Western plays their next three on the road, beginning at Fort Hays State (12-4, 3-4 MIAA) on Thursday.

— MWSU Athletics —