College – Page 41 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Mizzou blows 12-point second half lead, loses at home to Texas A&M

Posted on February 9, 2019

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — There wasn’t much of a size difference between the biggest and smallest Texas A&M players on the court against Missouri on Saturday night, so Aggies coach Billy Kennedy changed his defensive strategy at halftime. The Aggies started switching screens at every position, and that helped them erase a 12-point, second-half deficit and beat the Tigers 68-59.

“We were forced to play small pretty much all night,” Kennedy said. “We were switching ball screens, and that threw them off a little bit, especially their young guards, young perimeter guys. We were fortunate it gave them some problems.”

Wendell Mitchell scored 20 points to help Texas A&M (9-13, 2-8 Southeastern Conference) end a six-game conference losing streak. Christian Mekowulu added 15 points and 10 rebounds, TJ Starks scored 15 and Savion Flagg finished with 12 points.

The Aggies were missing forwards Josh Nebo, who had posted double-doubles in points and rebounds in two of his last three games, and John Walker. Kennedy said Nebo has a sprained medial collateral ligament in his knee and Walker was ill.

Missouri (11-11, 2-8 SEC) was also shorthanded. The Tigers’ second- and third-leading scorers did not play. Sophomore forward Jeremiah Tilmon missed the game because of lingering pain from emergency wisdom teeth removal on Wednesday. Sophomore guard Mark Smith missed his fifth straight game after spraining his ankle on Jan. 23.

Missouri opened a 37-25 lead when Torrence Watson made a 3-pointer with 17:39 left in the game.

“We’ve been down before,” Mitchell said. “We just had to play a little harder and execute on defense, honestly. I felt like we came out and executed defensively.”

The Tigers couldn’t solve the switching defense, as their guards dribbled into traffic and committed nine second-half turnovers.

“If they’re switching, let’s get the ball inside to our bigs and make a play. . It just didn’t happen,” Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin said.

Starks broke down Missouri’s defense with drives to the basket. He found Flagg outside the 3-point arc in transition, and Flagg’s shot gave Texas A&M the lead at 46-44 with 7:23 left. The Aggies pulled away with the help of 14-of-17 shooting from the foul line.

Javon Pickett led Missouri with 15 points, and Watson and Jordan Geist each scored 12.

“We let them get their head up out of the water, and they kept going,” Watson said. “We gave them a chance. We should have put our foot down.”

COMING UP SMALL

Missouri junior forward Reed Nikko made his first career start and gave a solid effort, with eight points and two blocked shots, but he fouled out after 19 minutes. Nobody else could fill the void inside. Kevin Puryear scored seven points and grabbed seven rebounds. Mitchell Smith and K.J. Santos combined for zero points and one rebound. The Aggies outrebounded the Tigers 34-25.

Missouri’s aimlessness on offense was illustrated by its lack of free throws. The Tigers attempted only four.

BIG PICTURE

Missouri: This was the second time in SEC play that the Tigers squandered a double-digit second-half lead at home. On Jan. 26, Missouri led LSU by 14 points with just over two minutes left in regulation and lost in overtime.

Texas A&M: For just the fourth time this season, Starks wasn’t in the starting lineup. He contributed little until the final seconds of the first half, when he hit a 3-pointer to cut the Aggies’ deficit to 30-21. That seemed to give him a boost, as he scored nine points in the second half.

“TJ played well coming off the bench,” Kennedy said. “He did a good job sharing the ball, and he did a good job on defense on Geist. Last time, Geist hurt us so much. Him and Chris Collins did a really good job guarding Geist.”

UP NEXT

Missouri: The Tigers face Arkansas on Tuesday at home.

Texas A&M: The Aggies play host to Georgia on Tuesday.

— Associated Press —

Northwest Missouri State women fall at Lincoln for fifth straight loss

Posted on February 9, 2019

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri – The Northwest Missouri State women’s basketball team lost at Lincoln Saturday in Jefferson City 64-51.

The Blue Tigers led by as many as 13 points in the opening 20 minutes and led 34-24 at the break.

The Bearcats pulled to within five at 44-39 with 4:13 left in the third quarter on a three-pointer from Jaelyn Haggard. However, Lincoln closed the quarter on a 6-0 run to extend the margin back to double figures.

Haggard scored a team-high 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including 3-of-8 from three-point range. Mallory McConkey was the only other Bearcat in double-figure scoring with 11 points. Kaylani Maiava recorded a team-best 10 rebounds.

Lincoln’s Zhanehsa Dickerson poured in a game-high 25 points and added 11 rebounds for a double-double.

The Bearcats fall to 7-15 overall and 3-10 in MIAA play, while Lincoln moves to 10-12 overall and 2-11 in league action.

Northwest will be back in action in Bearcat Arena on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. against Central Missouri.

— Northwest Athletics —

Lawson, Agbaji lift No. 13 Kansas past Oklahoma State

Posted on February 9, 2019

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas got the lift it needed against Oklahoma State on Saturday from a pair of guys that would have been just about the longest of long shots to provide it just a couple of months ago.

Ochai Agbaji was still redshirting back then. Mitch Lightfoot was buried deep on the bench.

Yet it was Agbaji who was pouring in five 3-pointers and 23 points against the Cowboys, and it was Lightfoot playing above the rim at both ends of the floor. And along with Dedric Lawson, who had a game-high 25 points, the No. 13 Jayhawks shrugged off a slow start for an 84-72 victory.

“It’s about taking your opportunities and making the best of them,” said Lightfoot, who finished with six points and nine rebounds. “That could be two minutes or it could be 20.”

Devon Dotson added 18 points for the short-handed Jayhawks (18-6, 7-4 Big 12), who were playing their first game without Lagerald Vick. He left the team this week to deal with a personal issue.

Vick’s departure came at a tough time for the Jayhawks, who lost earlier in the week to rival Kansas State to leave them two games back in the race for a 15th consecutive conference title.

Oklahoma State (9-14, 2-8) played Kansas to a draw in the first half before Lawson, Agbaji and the rest of the Jayhawks caught fire. The Cowboys’ own depth issues surfaced when Cameron McGriff got into foul trouble, allowing Kansas to slowly draw away late.

McGriff finished with 22 points before fouling out. Lindy Waters added 13 for Oklahoma State.

“We competed. We just didn’t have enough to stave off the run they made in the second half,” Cowboys coach Mike Boynton said. “Those things can come pretty quickly.”

Even before Vick left, the Jayhawks were playing without three guys they thought would be big parts of the program. Silvio De Sousa is ineligible, big man Udoka Azubuike is out after season-ending wrist surgery and defensive stopper Marcus Garrett is recovering from an ankle sprain.

The result was a discombobulated first 20 minutes Saturday.

Freshman forward David McCormack got his first career start but still seemed lost on the floor, struggling to adapt to high-level college basketball. Fellow freshman starter Quentin Grimes was shut out in the first half, and nobody on coach Bill Self’s crippled bench provided much energy.

Oklahoma State took advantage with a late run to make it 36-all at the break.

It was Lightfoot who finally sparked the Jayhawks coming out of the locker room. The backup forward soared for a couple crucial rebounds, stuffed a putback dunk and added a couple of energizing blocks to earn a standing ovation from a home crowd on edge.

Waters and McGriff answered for the Cowboys, who were trying to become the first team since 2001 to win back-to-back games in Allen Fieldhouse — they swept Kansas last season. But they failed to stop a 12-0 charge that finally gave the Jayhawks control.

Agbaji began it with a 3-pointer, Grimes added back-to-back 3s and Agbaji drained his fifth 3 to make it 65-51 and ultimately force Boynton into burning a timeout.

“That was just on us,” Cowboys guard Isaac Likekele said. “We caved in a little bit.”

The Jayhawks’ lead eventually reached 19 points as they cruised to the finish, winning a game that they desperately needed to keep pace in the Big 12 title chase.

“I know people around here are freaking out because they lost four games in the league,” Boynton said, “but they still have a Hall of Fame coach, still have a first-team All-America player and they still have one of the best home courts in all of America.”

STATS AND STREAKS

The Cowboys have lost three straight and six of seven. … The Jayhawks improved to 17-0 at home and on neutral floors. They are 1-6 in true road games. … Kansas committed 23 turnovers in its loss to the Wildcats. It had eight against the Cowboys.

BIG PICTURE

Oklahoma State entered the game leading the Big 12 in 3-point percentage and number made, and the Cowboys needed to shoot well from the perimeter to hang with Kansas. They were 4 of 7 from the arc in the first half but 5 of 13 in the second, when the Jayhawks pulled away.

Kansas can’t get Garrett back from his sprained ankle soon enough. Its game against Oklahoma State was the first of two in 48 hours, testing what little depth it has available.

UP NEXT

Oklahoma State plays Texas Tech on Wednesday night.

Kansas travels to TCU on Monday night.

— Associated Press —

Kansas State uses late run to win at Baylor

Posted on February 9, 2019

WACO, Texas (AP) — Cartier Diarra had just hit a 3-pointer to put Kansas State back ahead at Baylor when coach Bruce Weber called a timeout.

Weber wanted to get his team reorganized defensively, telling them to get some stops and finish the last six minutes of the game right.

The Wildcats got the message and are now alone atop the Big 12 standings.

Kamau Stokes had 20 points, including his own 3 after Diarra’s that started the late 11-0 run, and K-State finally got past undermanned Baylor for a 70-63 victory Saturday night.

“We weren’t down a whole lot during the game. We knew that we had to make plays,” Stokes said. “It came down to who was going to be the tougher team, and I felt like we made the tougher plays. … Little plays changed that game for us.”

Stokes’ 3 during that run for the Wildcats (18-5, 8-2 Big 12), came after his defensive rebound.

Then down the stretch, Diarra managed to keep a ball from going out of bounds under the Baylor basket, and swiped the ball way ahead to Barry Brown for a breakaway dunk. When Baylor got within 3 in the final minute after Devonte Bandoo made a 3-pointer and two free throws, Stokes made four consecutive free throws.

“Just using my athleticism, and used a little hang time,” Diarra said of his big save and assist. “I threw it long and (Booker) ran and got it before the Baylor player. It looked really good I bet. It was a smart play.”

K-State has a littler margin in the Big 12 after No. 17 Iowa State (18-6, 7-4) lost at home to TCU earlier Saturday.

Brown, whose 3-pointer with 3:20 left wrapped up the 11-0 run for a 62-53 lead, had 13 points and six assists. Dean Wade had 12 points and Diarra 10.

Baylor (15-8, 6-4), already without two players out for the season with injuries, was missing starting senior guards Makai Mason, its leading scorer, and King McClure. Mason (bruised foot) and McClure (knee) had both played in a loss Wednesday at Texas that snapped the Bears’ six-game winning streak.

“Our effort was good enough to win, our execution wasn’t,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said. “As a coach, you hate it. Relating it to real life, you work really hard, you get a bad grade. You work really hard, you don’t get a paycheck. That’s how our guys feel.”

Bandoo led Baylor with 15 points. Freddie Gillespie and Jared Butler each had 13 points.

“I think they wore down at the end of the first half, and maybe the end of the second half,” Weber said. “Our experience made a difference. … They made the shots, made the plays. We executed and got stops when it counted.”

BIG PICTURE

Kansas St.: The Wildcats have won eight Big 12 games in a row, their longest conference winning streak since 11 in a row in the Big Eight in 1974. During the stretch, they did have a 65-53 loss at Texas A&M in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.

Baylor: Going into a week when the Bears could have gone to the top of the Big 12, they instead suffered more injuries and consecutive losses for the first time this season.

BETTER BEYOND THE ARC

After going 3-of-14 on 3-pointers before the half, K-State made 6-of-12 after the break — including three in the 11-0 run.

“I think they just made a decision they’re not going to let Dean get it,” Weber said. “They were small, they didn’t have much depth and they just protected the paint. I don’t want to say dared us to shoot the 3. I thought we moved the ball, we had some good looks.”

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Kansas State, which this week also beat instate rival and No. 13 Kansas, has a chance to get ranked for the first time since falling out of the poll Dec. 17. The Wildcats were the preseason No. 12 team and were ranked in the first six polls, falling out from No. 25 after losing consecutive games in mid-December.

UP NEXT

Kansas State plays again in the Lone Star State, at Texas on Tuesday night.

Baylor is home Monday night against Oklahoma. It’s the third time this season the Bears play two Big 12 games in three days.

— Associated Press —

Nebraska loses to 15th-ranked Purdue 81-62

Posted on February 9, 2019

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Grady Eifert gave No. 15 Purdue the boost it needed Saturday.

And once the senior forward got started, the Boilermakers took off.

Eifert scored 16 points and had four steals, both career highs, and grabbed five offensive rebounds to help Purdue overcome a sluggish start and pull away for an 81-62 victory over Nebraska.

“We talked at halftime about getting more offensive rebounds and more open looks for our guys,” he said. “We were trying to play through it with hustle and energy.”

Nobody did it better than Eifert, the younger brother of NFL tight end Tyler Eifert and one of the most underrated players on Purdue’s roster.

While Carsen Edwards scored 27 points and Nojel Eastern had 12 points and 10 rebounds, his fourth double-double in six games, Eifert almost single-handedly turned the game with the kind of gritty hustle plays coach Matt Painter appreciates.

Things started to change when Eifert hit the deck to make a steal then flipped an outlet pass to Eastern for a breakaway basket. On the Boilermakers’ next possession, Eifert’s second 3-pointer of the game closed out the decisive 8-0 run and when Ryan Cline followed with another 3, the Boilermakers had a turned a 39-35 cushion into a 50-38 runaway.

Painter wasn’t the only one raving.

In the waning minutes, fans chanted M-V-P, M-V-P as Eifert celebrated his 100th career win, and Cornhuskers coach Tim Miles joined the chorus after the Boilermakers (17-6, 10-2) won their eighth straight.

“I thought the guy who hurt us tonight was Grady Eifert and I know that’s hard to say when Carsen Edwards has 27,” he said.

Thomas Allen made five 3s and matched his season-high with 18 points for Nebraska (13-11, 3-10). James Palmer Jr. added 17 points as the Cornhuskers’ losing streak hit seven — the last four without injured forward Isaac Copeland.

But Nebraska did play better.

With the Boilermakers off to a lackluster start, the Cornhuskers took a 25-21 lead on Palmer’s 3 with 7 minutes left in the first half.

That’s when Eifert & Co. cranked up the defensive intensity. Purdue allowed just one basket the rest of the half, used an 8-3 run to take a 33-31 halftime and then relied on the momentum and Eifert’s impact to take control early in the second half.

“You have to have a competitiveness to you and I thought Grady really brought tonight,” Painter said. “We did a better job (in the second half) feeding off those hustle plays Grady and Nojel were making.”

BIG PICTURE

Nebraska: Clearly, the Cornhuskers aren’t the same without Copeland. But they showed some promise by hanging around most of the night against a Big Ten contender.

Purdue: The Boilermakers have won 14 straight at home. But on Saturday, they showed they can win even when they don’t play their best. Purdue relied on its usual three-pronged approach — defense, hustle and ball movement — to pull away late. And it should keep them climbing in the poll.

STAT PACK

Nebraska: Glynn Watson Jr. scored four points after being shut out for the first time since his freshman season Wednesday at Maryland. … The Cornhuskers had eight turnovers but were outrebounded 39-24. … Nebraska is 0-7 all-time at Mackey Arena and has lost five of the last six in the series. … The Cornhuskers shot 38.2 percent from the field.

Purdue: Eifert finished with seven rebounds. … Purdue’s 10-2 mark in conference play is tied for the fifth-best mark in school history. … Painter won his 312th game and needs four more to move into the top 10 in Big Ten history.

TRIBUTE TO TRENT

The Boilermakers honored the late Tyler Trent, at their annual Hammer Down Cancer game.

They presented a check for nearly $13,000 to the fund in Trent’s name at the Purdue University Center for Cancer Research. Athletic director Mike Bobinski also gave Trent’s family a framed No. 1 jersey, drawing the loudest roar of the night from the crowd.

The 20-year-old Trent became a national inspiration during the football season as he rooted on the Boilermakers. Trent died on Jan. 1 from a rare form of bone cancer.

UP NEXT

Nebraska: Will try to end its skid when it heads home Wednesday to face Minnesota.

Purdue: Can make a major statement Tuesday at No. 24 Maryland.

— Associated Press —

Northwest baseball wins slugfest over Southern Arkansas 16-13

Posted on February 8, 2019

ARKADELPHIA, Arkansas – The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team toppled Southern Arkansas in a slugfest Friday, 16-13.

Northwest captured its second win of the season. The Bearcats tallied 16 hits and had six players record multi-hit efforts against the Muleriders. Eight of the Bearcats’s nine starters scored a run and eight different Northwest starters secured an RBI.

It looked like the Bearcats would cruise to the victory after batting around in the bottom half of the first. Northwest plated eight runs as leadoff batter Mondesi Gutierrez secured two hits in the inning. The Bearcats sent 12 men to the plate and secured six hits in opening up an 8-1 advantage.

SAU whittled away at the lead by scoring two runs in the second and three more in the third. Northwest did not allow SAU to score in the fourth and the Bearcats took advantage by adding a pair of runs. Gutierrez doubled to left for his third hit in three at-bats. Gutierrez’s knock scored Logan Rycraft to give Northwest a 9-6 lead. Gutierrez advanced to third on a groundout and scored an error by SAU catcher Zach Muldoon to give Northwest a 10-6 lead.

However, the four-run cushion was short-lived as the Muleriders knotted the matchup at 10-10 in the top of the fifth. The Muleriders scored four runs on four hits but also benefited from a Northwest error and balk in the inning.

Northwest took an 11-10 lead in the bottom of the sixth. Connor Quick led off with a triple to left. Quick finished his circuit in the base paths when Peter Carlson followed with an RBI single to right. Northwest could not add to the one-run cushion as SAU threw out Enrique Gonzalez attempting to steal second for the final out of the inning.

SAU found themselves in the lead in the seventh. The key hit in the inning came on a two-round RBI triple to right field by Brett McGee that gave the Muleridgers a 13-11 advantage.

But the Bearcats refused to yield as they batted around for the second time in the contest and scored five runs in the eighth. Jay Hrdlicka began the rally with a leadoff walk and moved to third on a single by Quick. Carlson walked to load the bases. Alixon Herrera came through in the clutch with a two-RBI double to left center to even the game at 13-13. Calvin Rudolph kept the merry-go-round spinning with an RBI single to right that plated Carlson. Gonzalez singled down the left field line to score Herrera and up the margin to 15-13. Derek Hussey reached on an error that allowed Gonzalez to score and give the Bearcats a three-run lead at 16-13.

Reliever Trevor Dudar came in to close out the victory. Dudar struck out two and induced a lineout to right field for the final out. It was Dudar’s first save of the season after capturing 14 a season ago.

Gibson Brown earned the victory as he pitched 1 1/3 innings of hitless relief with two strikeouts and a walk.

Northwest will wrap up its trip to Arkansas on Saturday with its finale at 1:30 p.m. against Ouachita Baptist.

NOTES: Connor Quick recorded his first four-hit game of the season … Quick has begun the season with a six-game hitting streak and has four multi-hit games … Quick is hitting .481 on the year with 13 hits in 27 at-bats … Quick has also scored a team-best eight runs in 2019 … Peter Carlson extended his hit streak to five in a row.

— Northwest Athletics —

Griffons struggle offensively in 66-52 loss at Lincoln

Posted on February 8, 2019

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri Western Men’s Basketball (10-13, 4-8 MIAA) suffered a 66-52 loss at Lincoln (16-5, 9-3 MIAA) on Thursday night. The Griffons held Lincoln to just 27 points in the second half, but it was not enough to overcome a 15-point halftime deficit.

NOTABLES

After a slow start for Missouri Western, JJ Jones sank a pair of free throws to bring the Griffons within reach at 26-22.
Lincoln closed out the first half on a 13-2 run, holding the Griffons without a made field goal for the final five minutes of the half.
The Griffons trailed 39-24 going into halftime, shooting 25 percent from the field.
Bryan Hudson led the Griffons with nine points in the first half.
Lavon Hightower’s jumper capped a 9-0 run to cut the Lincoln deficit to eight points with 11:32 left in the game.
The Blue Tigers held on to a double-digit lead for the final 10 minutes of the game to secure the victory.
The Griffons outscored Lincoln 28-27 in the second half, holding the Blue Tigers to just 29 percent shooting.
Lincoln’s 66 points is the second-fewest allowed by the Griffons this season.

LEADERS

Hudson tied for a team-high with 11 points and also pulled down eight rebounds.
Tyrell Carroll set a new career-high with five steals to go along with his 11 points.
Lincoln’s Terrance Smith finished with a game-high 25 points.

UP NEXT

Missouri Western will play at Lindenwood (11-13, 4-8 MIAA) on Saturday, Feb. 9.
The Lions topped the Griffons 75-58 on Dec. 6 in teams’ first meeting.

— MWSU Athletics —

No. 1 Bearcats hammer Lindenwood 72-41 to stay unbeaten

Posted on February 8, 2019

ST. CHARLES, Missouri – The Northwest Missouri State University men’s basketball team defended its No. 1 national ranking on Thursday with a 72-41 victory over the Lindenwood Lions at Hyland Arena.

Northwest (22-0 overall, 12-0 MIAA) used hot shooting (57.4 percent) and stifling defense by limiting Lindenwood to 30.4 percent from the floor. Lindenwood falls to 11-13 overall and 4-8 in the MIAA.

Northwest scored the game’s first seven points and never trailed. The Bearcats shot a sizzling 60 percent from the field in the first half on 15-of-25 shooting.

Senior Joey Witthus scored a game-high 18 points. Witthus was 7-of-12 from the field, including 4-of-7 from three-point range. Redshirt freshman Trevor Hudginstallied 17 points and handed out three assists.

The Bearcats will be back in action Saturday at Lincoln. Tip is set for 3 p.m. in Jefferson City, Missouri.

NOTES: Northwest extended the nation’s longest win streak to 22 in a row … the Bearcats have won 17 consecutive MIAA games as well … Northwest won for the 11^th straight time on the road … the Bearcats are 74-7 in their last 81 MIAA games … sophomore Ryan Hawkins collected his team-leading ninth double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds … Hawkins, the MIAA leader in steals added two more to give him 54 on the season … Hudgins was 4-for-4 at the free throw line and has now connected on 25 consecutive free throws.

— Northwest Athletics —

MWSU women get road win at Lincoln 68-59

Posted on February 8, 2019

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri Western Women’s Basketball (11-10, 6-6 MIAA) used tough late-game defense to pull away from Lincoln (9-12, 1-11 MIAA) in a 68-59 victory on Thursday night. After the Missouri Western lead fell to just three points with 2:35 remaining, the Griffons held Lincoln to just one made field goal on its final eight possessions.

NOTABLES

Missouri Western shot 69 percent en route to a 23-point first quarter. Katrina Roenfeldt nearly outscored the Blue Tigers on her own, with 11 points in the quarter.
The Griffons survived a nine-point second quarter to hang on to a 32-28 lead going into halftime.
The Griffons used a 9-0 run to take their largest lead of the game at 46-34 late in the third quarter.
Brittany Atkins took charge of the Griffon offense in the fourth, scoring 12 points in the final period.
Both teams found their stride in the fourth quarter offensively, combining for 41 points on 50 percent shooting.
The Griffons made 12 free throws in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
The Blue Tigers had a significant advantage in points in the paint, outscoring the Griffons 40-24.
Lincoln never led the Griffons on Thursday, only managing to tie the game once in the second quarter.

LEADERS

Atkins finished with a season-high 24 points and nine rebounds.
Roenfeldt was the Griffons’ second-leading scorer with 15 points while also grabbing seven rebounds.
Jessica Davies added 12 points on an efficient 6-8 shooting.

UP NEXT

Missouri Western Women’s Basketball will remain on the road for its next game in a matchup with Lindenwood (15-4, 9-3 MIAA) on Feb. 9.
The Lions bested the Griffons by 14 points in the teams’ first meeting this season.

— MWSU Athletics —

Northwest women fall at Lindenwood for fourth straight loss

Posted on February 8, 2019

St. Charles, Mo. — The Northwest Missouri State women’s basketball team fell to Lindenwood 71-55 in their road contest Thursday night. The Bearcats got off to a slow start to both halves, losing the first quarter 19-8 and the third quarter 20-9. They shot 40.4% from the field and 46.7% from the three-point line. Lindenwood shot 53.8% from the field.

Northwest was led in scoring by Kylie Coleman who posted a career high 18 points on 7-9 from the field and 4-5 from the three-point line. Mallory McConkey had 13 points and a team high 6 rebounds and 4 assists. The Bearcats shot 6-8 from the free throw line on the night.

Lindenwood was led in scoring by Lexie Moe who had 14. Lindsay Medlen had 12 points and Kallie Bildner had 11 points. Bildner also led the Lions in rebounds with 12 to give her a double-double. The Lions outrebounded the Bearcats 37-23 and outscored them in the paint 38-20.

Northwest will play again on Saturday at 1 p.m. against Lincoln in Jefferson City.

— Northwest Athletics —