The Missouri Western women’s basketball team picked up their second straight home win with a 61-56 victory over Missouri Southern Saturday afternoon. The win moved the team to 8-8 overall and 3-7 in the MIAA, while dropping Missouri Southern to 12-5 and 6-4.

LaQuinta Jefferson led the way for Missouri Western with 17 points on 5-11 shooting from the field. Chelsea Dewey added 11 for the Griffons and Tiara Hall had 10 points. Jefferson added five rebounds with Miliakere Koyamainavure and Alex Saxen each adding seven rebounds.

MWSU shot 44 percent from the field, 10 percent from three-point range and 62 percent at the free throw line. They held Missouri Southern to 33 percent from the field and six percent from long range.

FIRST HALF
The Griffons jumped out to a 12-4 lead that quickly faded as Missouri Southern tied the game at 18 with 5:50 left in the half. Two straight layups by the Griffons put them back up by five but Missouri Southern scored the last five points of the game to send the temas to halftime knotted at 26. Missouri Western missed all six of their three-point attempts in the first half and shot 35 percent from the field.

SECOND HALF
Missouri Southern jumped out to a four-point lead that the Griffons couldn’t erase until a Chelseas Dewey layup with 16:02 to go gave the Griffons a one-point lead. The two teams traded leads over the next eight minutes with MWSU finally capturing a five-point lead with 7:56 to go on a Dewey three-pointer. Missouri Southern never got closer than a 56-56 tie with 2:01 left. Missouri Western led the rest of the way.

The Griffons hit the road next week, playing at Lincoln on Thursday and Lindenwood on Saturday.

— MWSU Sports Information —