Box Score (html)
WEATHERFORD, Okla. – Despite 23 points by
Jade Jones, the Lady Bulldogs came up just short after a furious second-half rally, 71-68, against the visiting Lions from Missouri Southern State at the SWOSU Classic inside the Pioneer Cellular Event Center.
SWOSU claimed a slim 20-19 lead after the first quarter of action as
Hailey Tucker splashed in two shots from beyond the arc.
Whitney Dunn and Jones also contributed with one trey each in the first 10 minutes of play, but the Lady Dawgs would go cold in the second frame after scoring just nine points to trail 38-26.
The Lady Dawgs came back in the second half determined to find their way back into the game. Though the Lions pushed the lead to 17 points early in the third, a 16-to-5 run by SWOSU over the next five minutes to cut the deficit to 48-42 with just over two minutes in the period. In that time,
Janae Coffee made her presence known with eight points, including one put back off her own missed shot.
After
Morgan Vogt tied it up with a layup to open the fourth quarter, the Lady Dawgs finally reclaimed the lead for the first time since the second quarter off a layup by Coffee. Another trey by Jones off the assist by Vogt pushed SWOSU's lead to 56-52 before Tucker took over with six straight points for SWOSU.
Unfortunately, back-to-back threes by the Lions saw the lead change hands in favor of the visitors. SWOSU had two final shots, but neither found the bottom of the basket.
"I liked our fight in the second half. I liked that they embraced the challenges I gave them," said SWOSU head coach
Kelsi Musick. "I like the fact that Jade has ice in her veins. With the game on the line, she didn't shy away from the shot, and we all saw that tonight. We just need to find a little continuity heading into next week and I can't wait to see what this offense can do!"
Jones led SWOSU with 23 points, five points shy of her career high. She also led the team and tied her career-best mark with nine rebounds for the contest, with all nine coming on the defensive glass.
Tucker reached double figures for the second straight game, pouring in 16 points to go along with three boards. She led the team with three 3-pointers, shooting 50 percent from long range. Coffee was the third Lady Dawg to record double digits, chipping in with 12 points and six rebounds, five of which came on the offensive glass.
SWOSU outshot 43.9 percent from the field compared to Missouri Southern's 37.3 percent, but the Lions made 10 shots from distance compared to the Lady Dawgs' six. The Lady Bulldog bench chipped in with 26 points, led by Coffee's 12 points.
The Lady Bulldogs stay at home to open the Great American Conference slate with a tough contest against No. 18 Arkansas Tech on November 19 at 5:30 p.m. inside the Pioneer Cellular Event Center.
