TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Missouri Western Women's basketball won game number 21 on Thursday night, taking down Northeastern State, 68-58, at the NSU Events Center to complete a season sweep of the RiverHawks.
The Griffons (21-5, 15-3 MIAA) were led by
Brionna Budgetts' 14 points and six rebounds, both team-highs.
Johnni Gonzalez added 13 points, while
Connie Clarke scored 10 points in the Griffons' win.
Northeastern State (6-15, 3-14 MIAA) received 14 points from Jaylee Kindred, while Ashton Hackler added 11 points in the loss.
The RiverHawks took the early lead, scoring the first bucket of the game to make it 2-0. That was their only lead all night, as the Griffons maintained a slight lead in the first quarter. Northeastern tied the game at 12, but the Missouri Western offense woke up to take a 20-14 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter was fairly back and forth, with both teams scoring the ball well. The Griffons continued to extend the lead, pushing it as high as 11 points. The Griffs finished the half up eight points, 38-30.
Missouri Western got aggressive on the offensive end of the floor to start the second half, moving the lead up to as high as 14 thanks to seven points from Budgetts in the quarter. The quarter finished with the Griffons up, 58-46.
The fourth quarter saw the Griffons in cruise control, never letting the RiverHakws get within three possessions. The RiverHawks outscored the Griffons by two in the quarter, but the Griffons closed out the game for their third win in a row.
NOTABLES
- The Griffons dominated the glass, winning the rebound battle, 40-31.
- Missouri Western scored more points off turnovers despite turning the ball over four more times the RiverHawks.
- NSU did not score a single point in transition.
UP NEXT
The Griffons head to Claremore, Oklahoma, to play Rogers State (4-19, 2-15 MIAA on Saturday. The Hillcats fell to Northwest Missouri on Thursday, 61-50. Tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m. at the Claremore Expo Center.
