MSSU Athletics
JEFFERSON CITY – The Missouri Southern women’s basketball team picked up its ninth-straight win of the season besting Lincoln 77-49 inside Jason Gym this evening.
With tonight’s win the Lions have tied a school record with nine-consecutive wins in an MIAA season, just the third time in school history (1994-95 and 1993-94). The nine-straight wins overall is the longest streak for head coach Ronnie Ressel and is the longest streak since 2007-08 season that also featured a nine-game winning streak
The Lions (16-5, 13-3 MIAA) were led by Amaya Johns with a career-high 24 points shooting 7-of-11 from the field, 3-of-6 from three and 7-of-10 from free throws while grabbing seven rebounds. Lacy Stokes filled up the stat sheet once again finishing with 18 points, six steals, five rebounds and four assists while not committing a turnover. Madi Stokes came a rebound away from a double-double having 10 points and nine rebounds while picking up a block. Cameron Call added nine points shooting 2-of-3 from three and had two steals.
Lacy Stokes etched her name into the history books one more time tonight with her third game of at least six steals become the first freshman in school history to ever do so in a season. Lacy is now three steals away from setting the school record by a freshman Kim Bowen in 1985-86 who had 76 steals in 32 games that season as a freshman.
The Blue Tigers (5-17, 1-15) were led by Kelsey Mitchell with nine points, while Kylie Bernskoetter added eight points and Imani jones and Le’Yanna McGinnis each had six points and six rebounds.
The Lions opened the game a 7-4 run before a Mitchell three tied it at 7-7 with 4:13 left in the first quarter, the only tie of the game. A 10-2 run by Southern opened up a 17-9 lead that was never relinquished, capped off with 1:35 left from a Johns three and a Hailey Grant assist.
To begin the second quarter the Lions went on a 13-4 run capped off by a Johns three this time assisted by Layne Skiles with 5:11 remaining in the half. The Lions finished the half on a 10-4 run and went into the half up 42-23, as a team the Lions shot 58.3 percent from three going 7-of-12 and forced 13 Blue Tiger turnovers scoring 17 points off turnovers.
Southern opened up the third quarter with an 8-2 run capped off by a pair of Madi Stokes’ free throws with 7:24 making it 50-25 Lions. A 7-5 run by the Blue Tigers was then followed by a 5-3 after a trio of Johns free throws were made by the Lions to head into the fourth quarter up 58-37
The Lions responded in the fourth quarter going on a 7-2 run capped of by a Lacy Stokes’ driving layup with 6:30 left in regulation making it 65-39. A pair of Blue Tiger free throws followed before the Lions closed out their scoring in the game with a 12-2 run ultimately coming away victorious 77-48.
As a team the Lions had the advantage in field goal percentage (47.3-34.4), three’s made (10-4), free throws made (15-2), rebounds (39-35), assists (14-7), steals (15-6), bench points (38-21), fast break points (8-7), points off turnovers (26-4), and forced 21 Blue Tiger turnovers.
Up next for the Lions will be 22nd-ranked Missouri Western team coming into town on Thursday. Tip-off from the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is set for 5:30pm and will serve as the Pink Game for the Lions. The Griffons were the last team to beat the Lions winning 74-65 in St. Joseph on January 3rd.