TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Griffon Women's Basketball took a 49-47 lead into the fourth quarter but could not hang on and fell 74-58 to the Northeastern State RiverHawks on the road Saturday inside the NSU Event Center.

The Griffons (10-4, 5-3 MIAA) had two players score in double figures, led by Brionna Budgetts, who had a season-high 15 points and five steals. Tiani Ellison tacked on a career-high 15 points from the bench, and Connie Clarke added seven points and four assists.

Clarke pulled down three offensive rebounds to lead an offense that racked up second chance opportunities for Missouri Western State, grabbing 10 boards and turning them into 10 second chance points.

Missouri Western forced 16 Northeastern State (6-7, 2-5 MIAA) while committing only 11 themselves in Saturday's game. The Griffons turned those takeaways into 12 points on the other end of the floor. Budgetts' five steals led the way for MWSU.

HOW IT HAPPENED
After falling behind 3-0, Western went on a 7-0 run with 9:05 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Mary Fultz, to take a 7-3 lead. The Griffons then surrendered that lead and entered the second quarter down 20-18.

Northeastern kept adding to that lead, building a 26-18 advantage before MWSU went on a 7-0 run, highlighted by a three from Johnni Gonzalez, to narrow its deficit to 26-25. Northeastern responded and expanded its lead, leaving the Griffons trailing 33-28 heading into halftime.

After intermission, MWSU State cut its deficit to 47-43 before going on a 6-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Ellison, to grab a 49-47 lead with 51 seconds to go in the third, a score which remained until the end of the third quarter. Western played well near the basket, scoring 18 of its 21 points in the paint.

Northeastern then erased the Western lead in the game's final quarter for a 74-58 comeback victory.

GAME NOTES

• The Griffons shared the ball well, recording an assist on 65% of made field goals.
• The MWSU bench came alive by adding 25 points to its scoring output.
• Western's defense forced 16 turnovers.
• The Griffons cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 10 offensive boards in the game.
• Budgetts and Ellison led the Griffons with 15 points each. It's Budgetts' third consecutive game with exactly 15 points.
• Western got six rebounds from both Gonzalez and Jordan Cunningham.

UP NEXT
The Griffons gear up for a showdown with Northwest Missouri State (12-2, 6-2 MIAA) next Saturday at 1:30 p.m. inside the MWSU Fieldhouse. The Bearcats have won four in a row, last beating Rogers State 63-42 in Claremore, Oklahoma.