ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - Missouri Western women's basketball (9-3, 4-0 MIAA) overcame an 11-point deficit late in the first half and defeated No. 3 Fort Hays State, 67-66, on Saturday afternoon at the MWSU Fieldhouse.
Marie Sepp's jump shot with 3.9 seconds remaining would end up being the go-ahead.
Both teams got off to fast starts offensively with Hays (12-1, 3-1 MIAA) leading 23-22 at the end of the first quarter. The Tigers then built a 36-25 advantage with 3:18 left before halftime.
Missouri Western called a timeout and regrouped, ending the first half on a 10-0 run to make it a 36-35 game at halftime.
The second half was as competitive as it gets, with Missouri Western taking a 52-50 lead to the final frame. The Griffons led by five on two different occasions in the fourth, but time and again, Fort Hays State had the answer.
The Tigers took a 66-64 lead with 2:59 remaining and they held that lead for awhile, as Missouri Western had a scoring drought of 3:53 in the final minutes.
A free throw by
Matilda Soderlund made it a 66-65 game with 28 seconds left. The Griffons then benefited from four consecutive missed free throws by Hays' Olivia Hollenbeck, and the Griffs had their last possession with 15 seconds left.
After a foul on the floor,
Laura Toffali inbounded to Sepp, who weaved into the lane and threw the ball up off the glass and through the hole. Hays had one last look with four seconds left, but a pass by Brooke Loewe was stolen by
Kassandra Caron as time expired, sealing a victory for MWSU.
The Griffons, now winners of seven straight games, have won their last three battles with Fort Hays State and five of the last seven with the Tigers overall.
Toffali led the way with a season-best 15 points.
Alyssa Bonilla did her usual stat packing with 11 points, nine assists, six rebounds and five steals. Caron came off the bench for 11 points, while
Jessica Ford had nine points and a team-best seven rebounds.
Missouri Western made 12-of-35 (34.3%) from three and 26-of-62 from the field (41.9%). Hays was 25-of-60 from the floor (41.7%) and 6-of-22 from three (27.3%). Katie DeGarmo led the Tigers with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Loewe had 10 points and a whopping 12 assists.
Missouri Western goes on the road Wednesday to face Washburn. Tip-off from Lee Arena in Topeka, Kansas is set for 5:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the Griffon Sports Network (Varsity Network App, GoGriffons.com/listen).
