Box Score | Season Stats
JOPLIN, Mo. – The No. 19 Washburn Lady Blues blitzed the second half nets for eight second half 3-pointers avenging an eight-point loss from a week ago to top Missouri Southern 72-59 on Wednesday night in Joplin. With the win Washburn improves to 16-4 and 8-3 in the MIAA, remaining in a first place tie in the league race. Washburn will face
Pittsburg State on Saturday in Lee Arena at
5:30 p.m.
After taking a 28-24 lead into the halftime break, Washburn pushed its lead to 13 at 41-28 with 15:09 left on an Amanda Holmes 3-pointer. The Lions would cut the lead back to eight at 43-35 with 10:46 to go in the game on the second of MSSU's Danielle DeVader's four 3-pointers in the second half.
Washburn and Missouri Southern would trade 3-pointers – the first by Jessica Mainz while was followed by India Wood's keeping the Washburn advantage at eight points at 46-38. The Lady Blues would continue to keep the Lions at arms-length holding at least a 10-point lead the remaining 8:16 of the game.
In the final 2:22 of the game, Washburn would connect on nine of 10 free throws with Mainz hitting seven of eight attempts.
In the second half, Washburn was 11 of 30 from the field, but of the 11 field goals, the Lady Blues were 8 of 13 (61.5 percent) from 3-point range en route to a 9 of 20 performance from downtown for the game.
In the opening half, the teams exchanged the lead four times with four score ties as neither team would get more than a five-point lead. Washburn held the Lions without a field goal in the first half for the final 4:25 of the period turning a three-point deficit into a four-point halftime lead as the Lions finished the half with only two field goal attempts with two free throws and three turnovers.
Corkey Stiger led the Lady Blues with 17 points pacing four Washburn players in double figures followed by Mainz with 15. Holmes scored 12 with a team-high eight rebounds and Janice Bright scored 11. All of Holmes' and Mainz's points came in the second half as Holmes only played six minutes with foul trouble. Mainz also added six of her seven assists in the second half and finished with four steals.
Fatai Hala'Api'Api led the Lions with 19 hitting 11 of 13 from the free throw line and DeVader had 15.
The Lady Blues finished 21 of 62 for the game from the field. After being outrebounded 30 to 28 in last week's loss to the Lions, Washburn held a 39 to 32 rebound advantage with 20 coming on the offensive side turning into 18 second chance points for the Lady Blues.
Notes: Washburn improved to 38-24 all-time against the Lions … the Lady Blues won their third straight game in Joplin … Brette Ulsaker saw her first action in four games after missing the last three with a stress fracture in her foot, she finished with one point in nine minutes of play … Corkey Stiger hit her 100th 3-pointer in a Washburn uniform against the Lions … Jessica Mainz has hit 18 of her last 22 free throws in the last four games … the Lady Blues avoided the first regular season sweep to the Lions since the 1986 season with the win in Joplin … the Lady Blues improved to 195-9 when leading with five minutes to go in the game … Mainz's seven assists were one shy of a career high as was her 15 points scored … the 39 field goal attempts by the Lions were a season low for opponents this season.
Updates South Central Regional Rankings – records through action Feb. 3
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South Central Region
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Division II Overall Record
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Division II
In-Region Record
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1.
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West Texas A&M
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16-3
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15-0
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2.
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Missouri Southern State
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12-4
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11-4
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3.
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Washburn
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12-4
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11-4
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4.
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Central Oklahoma
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15-5
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14-5
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5.
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Southwest Baptist
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12-4
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11-4
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6.
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Angelo State
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17-4
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16-4
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7.
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Emporia State
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12-4
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11-4
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8.
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Texas A&M-Commerce
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12-6
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11-6
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9.
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St. Mary's (Texas)
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15-3
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12-2
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10.
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Northeastern State
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12-8
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12-8
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