KEARNEY, Neb. – It was the biggest win of the season. It was the biggest upset in the history of the MIAA Women's Basketball Championships.
The No. 12-seeded Griffons knocked off No. 5-seed Nebraska Kearney, 60-57 Monday night to become the first 12-seed to ever win a game in the MIAA Championships. Missouri Western snapped a six-game losing streak and won on the road for just the second time all season and the first time against and MIAA opponent.
Missouri Western outscored the Lopers 21-13 in the fourth quarter to earn the victory. Down by seven with 6:53 left, the Griffons went on an 8-0 run capped by back-to-back three pointers by Mania Timson and
Melia Richardson to take a one-point lead with 4:50 left. UNK answered to take a two-point lead, but the Griffons outscored the Lopers 8-3 over the final 3:33 to secure the team's first postseason win since defeating Nebraska Kearney in the MIAA quarterfinals in 2016.
The Griffons advanced to the MIAA quarterfinals where they will face No. 4-seeded Central Oklahoma on Thursday, March 1 at approximately 8:15 p.m.
NOTABLES
- Timson led all scorers with a career-high 20 points, surpassing her previous career-high by 11 points. The freshman was 5-of-8 from the field and 3-of-4 from three-point range. She hit 3-of-4 free throws in the final 15 seconds to ice the victory.
- Nebraska Kearney made one of their last seven free throw attempts
- Missouri Western shot 88 percent at the free throw line while UNK shot 50 percent
- It was just the third time all season the Griffons won when trailing after three quarters
- Melia Richardson scored 16 points on 5-of-13 shooting to go with her four assists
- Savannah Lentz added 11 points
- Dossou Ndiaye scored nine points and pulled down nine rebounds
- Cera Ledbetter and KeShara Scott each pulled down eight rebounds
