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MARYVILLE, Mo. -- Cassie Lombardino scored a season-high 18 points and the Lady Blues used an early 14-0 run as they opened their MIAA schedule with a 71-53 win at Northwest Missouri State Saturday. The 16th-ranked Lady Blues (8-2) will return to action Wednesday in a 5:30 p.m. game at Fort Hays State.

Lombardino was 8 of 11 from the field and she had eight rebounds. Stevi Schultz and Ebonie Williams each had a hat trick with three 3-pointers, giving Schultz 15 points and Williams 13. Sierra Moeller had her fifth double-figure rebounding game with a team-high 10.

The Lady Blues shot 44 percent from the field and 47 percent (6 of 11) from 3-point range. The Bearcats (2-6, 0-2 MIAA) shot 32 percent and were just 3 of 14 from 3-point range. Washburn won the rebounding battle 46-32 and both teams committed 21 turnovers.

The Bearcats took a 7-4 lead on a 3-pointer from Shelly Martin but Washburn went on a 14-0 run to take the lead for good. Washburn started the streak by hitting four straight 3-point attempts. Williams' 3-pointer at 15:46 tied the game and then a 3 from Lombardino gave Washburn the lead. Schultz and then Brittney Lynch followed with treys.

The Bearcats missed four shots and had three turnovers during Washburn's early run. They broke the streak with a jumper by Abby Henry and then they pulled as close as four down at the 4:28 mark of the opening half. Washburn closed the half on an 11-2 run after that to lead 36-23 at halftime.

Washburn scored the first seven points of the second half and built a game-high 20-point lead on a jumper from Laura McMullin at 13:52. A 6-0 run pulled Northwest Missouri within 14 at the 11:50 mark but Washburn pushed it back to 20 and fought off any serious Bearcat threat thereafter.

Megan Lassley led Washburn with four assists. Henry led the Bearcats with 18 points, going 9 of 11 from the free throw line. Annie Mathews had 12 points and seven rebounds off the bench.


Notes: Washburn coach Ron McHenry won his 298th game in his 12th year at Washburn, putting him two away from 300...the Lady Blues improved to 16-7 all-time in MIAA openers and have won their last five...the win was Washburn's first in three true road games this year...Washburn improved to 45-10 all-time against the Bearcats and 16-6 in Maryville...this was the second straight game a team scored first on Washburn, the only two times this year...this was Washburn's 399th straight game keeping opponents under 100 points...for the second straight game Williams, Schultz, Lassley, Moeller and Lombardino started for Washburn...Lassley has started two straight and the rest have started all 10 games.