ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The Missouri Western women's basketball team scored the final 13 points of their game with Pittsburg State Saturday to rally and defeat the Gorillas, 68-64, inside the MWSU Fieldhouse.  MWSU improves to 5-11 and has won back-to-back games for the first time this season.  Pitt falls to 12-7.
 
After the teams went back-and-forth in the first quarter, the Griffons used an 8-1 run to take the lead early in the second quarter and continued for the next 20 minutes.  Western led 37-30 at halftime and 53-49 after three quarters, but then the Gorillas took control of the game.  Pittsburg State went on a 19-2 run that bridged the third and fourth quarters and they took a 64-55 lead with 4:24 left in the game.
 
That's when the game changed as Missouri Western went on a 13-0 run and got seven consecutive stops on defense to end the game.  They went 6-of-7 from the field during that run as Mychaell Gray scored six of those points, including a layup with 10 seconds left to put MWSU up two possessions.  Camille Evans added four points during that stretch and Jordan Cunningham made a key three-pointer to make it a 64-60 game.
 
Griffon sophomore Breonna Budgetts scored a new career-high 16 points, while Logan Hughes added 12.  Evans and Gray scored nine points each.
 
Missouri Western shot the basketball 45.9% (28-61) from the field and 42.9% (9-21) from the three-point line.  MWSU did give up 19 offensive rebounds and were outrebounded 47-27, but they forced 18 Pitt State turnovers.
 
UP NEXT
The Griffons return to the MWSU Fieldhouse Monday as they entertain Newman at 5:30 p.m.  The game will air on the Griffons Sports Network (680 AM/95.3 FM) and the MIAA Network.