KEARNEY, Neb. - Missouri Western women's basketball (11-5, 6-2 MIAA) dropped its rematch to Nebraska-Kearney (13-3, 6-1 MIAA), 73-65, at the Health & Sports Center on Wednesday afternoon. The Lopers rallied in the fourth with a 26-point fourth quarter to secure the victory.
 
The first half was a tightly contested back-and-forth affair between the Griffons and the Lopers. UNK led by a slim margin of 18-15 after the opening 10 minutes, but it was MWSU who carried a 34-30 lead into the locker room, thanks to a 14-2 run before the end of the half.
 
Senior Alyssa Bonilla and junior Marie Sepp spearheaded the offense with nine points in the first half. Junior Jessica Ford led the Griffons defensively with eight rebounds, while fellow junior Laura Toffali added six of her own.
 
Western narrowly edged Kearney in the third quarter, leading 48-47 as they entered the final period. However, the Lopers surged ahead with a strong 10-0 run in the fourth quarter and held onto their lead for the remainder of the game, ultimately claiming the 73-65 victory. 
 
Bonilla was the game's leading scorer after amassing 25 points on 10-of-19 shooting. The senior also recorded a team-high six assists, along with three rebounds and three steals. Toffali also stood out for Western, scoring 14 points—just one point shy of her season-high—while also contributing six rebounds, three steals and one assist
 
Nebraska-Kearney shot an efficient 52% from the field compared to Missouri Western's 37%. Kia Wilson led the offensive charge with 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Rebounding played a pivotal role in the Loper win, as they outrebounded the Griffs 44-26.
 
Western will return to the MWSU Fieldhouse for a three-game homestand starting next Wednesday against Central Missouri at 5:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the Griffon Sports Network (Varsity Network App, GoGriffons.com/listen).