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JOPLIN, Mo. -- Stevi Schultz hit a pair of 3-pointers in the final two minutes to break a tie and give Washburn a 75-69 win Wednesday at Missouri Southern in the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

The No. 15 Lady Blues improved to 22-4 overall and 15-2 in the MIAA. The Lions dropped to 7-17 overall and 3-15 in the league. Washburn will return home to host league-leading Pittsburg State Saturday at 1 p.m. in Lee Arena. The game will be broadcast live on the MIAA Network and will be Washburn's PINK game. Fans are encouraged to wear pink to raise awareness for breast cancer.

Erin Rice hit a 3-pointer for the Lions at the 3:21 mark of the second half to tie the score at 69-69 but the Washburn defense kept MSSU scoreless after that. Schultz broke the tie with a trey at the 1:45 mark and then after the Lions missed three opportunities to score on their following possessions, Schultz hit another 3-pointer with 14 seconds remaining to put the game away.

Schultz scored 17 points after going 6 of 13 from the field with four 3-pointers. She now has 983 points and needs 17 to become Washburn's 21st member of the 1,000 point club. Schultz led Washburn with eight rebounds.

Ebonie Williams led Washburn in scoring for the 10th straight game with 20 points. She went 8 of 18 from the field and hit three 3-pointers. Dana Elliott scored a career-high 15 points with a perfect 5 of 5 performance from the field.

Each team held double-digit leads in the first half. The Lions scored the first eight points of the game and led 14-2 at the 15:15 mark. Washburn answered by scoring 15 of the next 17 points to go up 17-16 with 9:17 remaining in the half. The Lions regained the lead right after that but Elliott scored 12 points for Washburn during the remaining eight minutes of the half and Washburn went into the locker room up 43-31.

The Lions cut Washburn's lead to three in the early minutes of the second half but the Lady Blues quickly got it back to double figures on five straight points from Williams. The double-digit lead was short-lived as MSSU got within two at the 8:57 mark and then got within a point at the 3:52 mark on a pair of free throws from Nyzera Flemming. Elliott answered with a lay-up to put Washburn up 69-66 but Rice answered with her three at 3:21 that tied the game. Missouri Southern missed its final six shots after that as Schultz' 3s made the difference.

Washburn shot 42 percent while the Lions shot 36 percent. Washburn was 9 of 18 from 3-point range and 12 of 17 from the  free throw line. The Lions made 9 of 23 3-pointers and 14 of 17 free throws. The Lady Blues held a 44-39 advantage on rebounds and both teams had 12 turnovers.

Cassie Lombardino blocked one shot to move into a tie for fourth with 101 blocks in her Washburn career.

Rice led the Lions with 24 points as she went 10 of 22 from the field. Kelby Fritz had 19 points off the bench.


Notes: Washburn improved to 44-26 all-time against Missouri Southern...they moved to 15-16 in Joplin...Cassie Lombardino tied Laura Mueller (1988-92) for fourth in Washburn career history with her 101st block...Jannica Beam (1989-93) sits in third in WU history with 116 blocks...Dana Elliott set a career high with 15 points and five made field goals...her previous high was 11 points and four field goals on December 7 at Fort Hays State.