INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Missouri S&T's women's basketball team led for a good portion of the game Monday night, but couldn't overcome a late third quarter run by Indianapolis and wound up on the short end of a 72-61 Great Lakes Valley Conference decision at Nicoson Hall.
Both teams came out of the game slowly, as the Miners made just three of their first 15 shots and the Greyhounds were four-of-13 from the field in an opening period that was tied at 10 at its conclusion. UIndy led 14-10 a minute into the second quarter, then the Miners outscored the Greyhounds 16-6 over the next four minutes to take a 26-20 lead.
Katelynne Roberts (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) converted on back-to-back conventional three-point plays, the second coming at the 7:01 mark to put the Miners in front 18-16. Roberts scored again two trips down the floor later to extend the lead to four, then the margin reached six following three-point baskets by
Jada Lindesmith (Cincinnati, Ohio/Lutheran-St. Charles) and
Addyson Kent (North Vernon, IN/Jennings County).
S&T (1-5, 0-2 GLVC) took its largest lead of the half at 30-22 with just over two minutes remaining in the half following a steal and lay-in by
Gabi Burgess (Bloomingdale, IL/Lake Park) and led 32-26 at the intermission.
The Greyhounds (4-2, 2-0 GLVC) opened the second half by scoring the first six points to tie the score, but the Miners answered with a 6-0 run of their own to restore their six-point lead. Roberts scored on a lay-up to put S&T back in front, then a free throw and a three-pointer by
Eryn Puett (Columbia, MO/Rock Bridge) extended the margin back to six.
However, UIndy erased that lead and after a
Morgan Luebbering (Jefferson Ciy, MO/Fatima) basket put the Miners back up by two, the Greyhounds rattled off eight consecutive points to take a lead they would not relinquish.
S&T was within four when the fourth quarter began as it had held the Greyhounds to a 30.6 percent mark from the field over the first three periods, but UIndy – and in particular, Jodi Mullins – warmed up over the final 10 minutes.
Mullins, a transfer from Kennesaw State, did not score over the first three quarters but erupted for 13 points in the final period. After a three-pointer by Liv Becker to open the quarter pushed the lead to seven, Mullins scored eight of UIndy's next 10 points to push the margin into double figures.
Puett scored eight of her career-high 20 points in a stretch midway through the fourth quarter to keep the Miners in the game, including a basket at the 2:27 mark that cut the lead to eight, but S&T got no closer after that.
Besides Puett's 20 points, Roberts also finished in double figures with 18 points and added eight rebounds. S&T shot 50 percent or better in two of the four quarters – including a 61.5 percent mark in the fourth quarter – but finished the game at 36.2 percent. The Miners did match their season best with only 14 turnovers in the contest.
The Miners held UIndy's top two scorers going into the game, Elana Wells and Becker, to a combined 14 points, but were hurt for much of the night by Patricia Chikamba and down the stretch by Mullins. Chikamba recorded a double-double with 22 points and 17 rebounds while Mullins scored all 13 of her points in the fourth quarter as UIndy outscored the Miners 25-18.
S&T held UIndy to a 37.9 percent mark from the field, but the Greyhounds had a 55-31 advantage on the board and had 19 offensive rebounds – including 14 in the second half, leading to a 19-2 difference in second chance points.
Missouri S&T will return to Gibson Arena Thursday to take on Quincy in a 5:30 p.m. GLVC contest.
