LaQuinta Jefferson and the rest of the Missouri Western women’s basketball team made the last two minutes interesting Saturday night at Quincy, but the Griffons came up short against the Hawks, 77-70, in the QU Subway Tip-Off Classic.

With 2:39 left in the game, Quincy led by 11, but a 7-0 run by the Griffons brought them within four. Jefferson scored eight straight points, including two straight three pointers to keep the Quincy lead at four with :43 seconds left.

Jefferson’s fifth foul sent the Lady Hawks to the line as they made both free throws, stretched the lead back to six and never looked back. The Griffons held their largest lead of the game — eight points — with 14:37 left in the game but Quincy used a 13-3 run to go back on top with 9:26 left and never trailed again.

Jefferson finished with 24 points and was 7-11 from the field. Missouri Western shot 40 percent from the field, 39 percent from behind the arch and 71 percent from the charity stripe. They pulled down 41 rebounds to Quincy’s 43. The Lady Hawks scored 18 second chance points to the Griffons eight. Sarafina Handy was the only other Griffon in double figures, scoring 15 points.

The Griffons bring their 1-1 record back to St. Joseph next week when the open at home against Rockhurst on Thursday.

— MWSU Sports Information —