Box Score | Season Stats | Photos

TOPEKA, Kan. -- The seventh-ranked Lady Blues used a second half run and held off Pittsburg State 65-57 in a tough battle on Wednesday night at Lee Arena. The back-and-forth battle saw nine ties and eight lead changes.

Washburn (12-1, 8-1 MIAA) grabbed an early three-point lead on three free throws from Laura Kinderknecht. The Gorillas (6-7, 4-5 MIAA) battled back and grabbed their first lead of the game at 7-5 with 16:19 to play in the half. PSU pushed the lead to as many as five before the Lady Blues rallied tie the game at 12-all. The game was tied for the sixth time at 21-21 with 1:19 to play when Megan Lassley drilled a trey to put Washburn up. Drew Roberts answered for Pitt State with a three of her own with :08 left to tie the score, but Lassley uncorked a 35-footer that hitting nothing bet net at the buzzer and WU led 27-24 at halftime.

The Gorillas opened the second half on an 11-1 run to grab their biggest lead of the night at 36-28 with 17:23 to play in the game. Washburn scored six quick points on jumpers from Kinderknecht, Naudia Campbell and Alyssa Mullen to pull within two at the 15:02 mark.

Pittsburg State pushed the lead back to six before, but Washburn used a 10-1 run to take the lead for good at 44-41 with 10:38 remaining. The lead was two when Stevi Schultz rattled off nine straight points for Washburn and the lead grew to nine. A layup by Cassie Lombardino gave the Blues their biggest lead of the night at 56-45 with 6:57 remaining in regulation.

The Gorillas were able to get within five with 1:27 to play, but a bucket by Kinderknecht and a free throw by Lombardino gave WU the final margin of victory.

Lombardino led the Lady Blues with 20 points, while adding nine rebounds. Schultz had 14 points and Kinderknecht added 10. Mullen fiinished with a career-high 16 rebounds, the most by a Lady Blue since Crystal Walker pulled down 16 boards against Emporia State on January 23, 2002.

Washburn shot 39 percent (21-of-54) from the floor and 44 percent (4-of-9) from behind the three-point line, while making 19-of-28 from the charity stripe for 68 percent. Washburn out-rebounded the Gorillas 45-38.

Courtney Tate led three Gorillas in double figures with 13 points. Drew Roberts had 11, while Kylee Baldetti chipped in 10 to go along with 10 rebounds.

PSU shot 37 percent (23-of-61) from the field and were 6-of-21 from three-point range for 29 percent. The Gorillas were 5-of-10 from the foul line as well.

The Lady Blues are back in action this Saturday for a top-10 showdown at Emporia State in the first installment of the Turnpike Tussle. The game is slated for a 1:08 p.m tip-off. The game is being televised on Cox 22 as part of MIAA TV.


Head Coach Ron McHenry talks about the win over Pitt State