ROLLA, Mo. - The Missouri S&T women's basketball team concluded its five game homestand by defeating McKendree 80-78 in a Great Lakes Valley Conference contest Saturday afternoon in Gibson Arena.
The Miners (8-6, 4-2 GLVC) – who trailed by two points after the first quarter and four at the break -- outscored the Bearcats 45-39 in the second half to pick up its fourth conference win of the season.
The Miners and Bearcats exchanged the lead through the early stages of the game, with
Alex Kerr (St. Louis, MO/St. Joseph's Academy) scoring on back-to-back possessions to give the Miners a two-point advantage midway through the period. However, the Bearcats responded with a 6-0 run that was started on a Naomi McDaniel layup and would eventually lead 22-20 when the period ended.
The teams continued to swap baskets over the first three and one-half minute of the second period, before a three-pointer by Christy Fortune increased the McKendree lead to five. At the 5:05 mark, the Bearcats took their largest lead of the game of six on another Fortune three-pointer, but a consecutive baskets by
Kristen Keys (St. Louis, MO/Westminster Christian Academy) started a 4-0 run – part of a run of nine consecutive S&T points tallied by Keys – helped S&T cut the deficit to one. The Bearcats, however, scored the final three points of the half to take a 39-35 advantage into the break.
Coming out of the intermission, the Bearcats regained their six-point lead on a second chance basket by Maclayne Taylor. However, the Miners responded with a three-pointer by
Laura Rodriguez (Gran Canaria, Spain/Baloncesto Torrelodones) and a basket by
Anna Finley (Owensville, MO/Owensville) to cut the lead to one, then took their first lead of the second half at the 3:50 mark when
Michaela Davis (Keokuk, Iowa/Keokuk) scored on a driving layup. McKendree would tie the game at 52 after a pair of Erin Golden free throws, but the Miners finished the period by scoring 10 of the final 12 points which was capped by a three-point play by Kerr to allow the Miners to take a 62-54 lead into the final ten minutes.
Kerr gave the Miners their biggest lead of the game of 10 on a put-back just over a minute into the fourth period and later in the period, Finley hit a three-pointer to answer Golden's three-point play to extend the margin back to 10 again. McKendree cut into the lead and had it down to two with 2:38 left on a Golden fast break layup. Kerr, however, scored at the other end on S&T's next possession and Keys would score off an inbounds pass with just under a minute to make it a five-point game again.
In this decision, four Miners ended up in double figures led by
Kristen Keys (St. Louis, MO/Westminster Christian Academy) with her season-high 21 points; 11 of her points came in the second period which included shooting three-of-six from behind the arc. Kerr secured her eighth double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Rodriguez contributed 16 points and Finley finished with 10. Rodriguez and Finley had a team-high with three assists apiece. As a team, S&T scored 13 points from second chance opportunities while out rebounding the Bearcats 35-31.
The Bearcats (6-7, 3-3 GLVC) had four players finish in double figures, led by Golden with 19 points. McDaniel and Clare Breden both contributed 14 points and Fortune added 10 points while netting the only two three-point field goals for the Bearcats.
The Miners will continue Great Lakes Valley Conference competition Thursday with a game at the University of Indianapolis on Jan. 12 at 5:30 p.m. Eastern time.
