Box Score (Rolla, Mo.) - The Missouri S&T Lady Miners broke open a close game with an 18-7 run spanning six minutes early in the second half to pull away from Harris-Stowe State in its 80-70 win on Saturday in Rolla. The Lady Miners finished the contest with three players in double figures led by Toni Knar (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein) with 15 points.

S&T (3-1) scored seven of the first 10 points to begin the contest, but were unable to shake the pesky Hornets (2-3) for a majority of the first half. The Lady Miners led 20-16 with 6:28 to play in the frame before HSSU went on a 6-0 run to take its only lead of the contest on a layup by Shanique Buford at the 4:28 mark.

S&T answered with back-to-back three's from Jaaron Kassanavoid (Lawson, Mo./Lawson) to retake the lead at 26-22, but still were unable to break free of the Hornets. The Lady Miners extend their lead to 32-26 on a jumper from Kassanavoid with just over a minute left in the half. Harris-Stowe continued to hang around scoring the final four points of the frame and cut the S&T advantage to just two at the break.

The Lady Miners were outshot in the first half 52.2 percent-to-38.7 percent, but outrebounded the Hornets 16-13. Kassanavoid led all scorers with 11 points in the half while Buford had 10 for Harris-Stowe.

The Hornets picked right up where they left off scoring the first points of the second half tying the game at 32 on a putback by Buford. S&T regained the lead for good on the ensuing possession when Kylie Cooper (Andover, Kan./Andover) made 1-of-2 at the foul line. Mia Wesley (Philadelphia, Pa./John Bartram) then added a three to push the lead to four points.

Harris-Stowe continued to hang around and only trailed by a basket after a KeAris Vaughn jumper with 17:05 to play. From that point the Lady Miners began to pull away. Wesley began the run with a pair of free throws, then Knar hit a jumper on the break and Leigh-Ann Kesper (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) added a basket to push the lead to 44-36.

The lead eventually grew to 13 with six straight points from Karli Sample (St. Joseph, Mo./Benton). Sample, Kesper and Elsie Greenwood (Breckenridge, Mo./Penney High School) combined for 14 of the 18 points in the run. The Hornets got as close as 57-49 with 8:18 to play, but the Lady Miners answered with seven straight, five of which came from Erica Askew (Chicago, Ill./Morgan Park) to build a 64-49 less than a minute later.

Harris –Stowe wouldn't get closer than eight points the rest of the way as S&T shot nearly 60 percent from the field in the second half and was 14-of-17 at the foul line.

The Lady Miners finished the contest 28-for-58 (48.3 percent) from the field, connected on 39 percent (7-of-18) from three and 17-21 (81 percent) from the foul line. They outrebounded the Hornets 36-to-33 while both teams had 18 turnovers. Knar, Wesley and Kassanavoid combined to score 39 of the 80 points. Sample led the way with six rebounds.

Harris-Stowe was led in scoring by Buford with 21 points. Alexis Minner dropped in 19 while Tiffany Morris and Vaughn had 13 and 10 respectively. The Hornets finished the contest shooting 46 percent (27-of-59) from the floor, but was just 13-for-21 at the foul line.

S&T returns to action next Friday evening traveling down to Springfield, Mo., to take on Union University in the Drury Thanksgiving Classic beginning at 7:45 p.m.