Neb.-Kearney UNK 15-6,9-6 Mid-America Intercollegiate

Missouri Western MW 17-4,12-3 Mid-America Intercollegiate

Neb.-Kearney UNK

15-6,9-6 Mid-America Intercollegiate

Final

Feb. 03, 2024

Missouri Western MW

17-4,12-3 Mid-America Intercollegiate

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	3	4	F
Neb.-Kearney UNK	13	19	8	21	61
Missouri Western MW	14	11	32	16	73

Summary
Box Score

Erika Pritchard, UNK Communications

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | 2/3/2024 4:05:00 PM

Huge Third Quarter Powers the Griffs

Kearney, Neb. – The Missouri Western State Griffons outscored Nebraska Kearney by 24 points in the third quarter to win, 73-61, Saturday afternoon in St. Joseph.

The Griffons (17-4, 12-3) win a seventh straight game, improve to 10-1 at home and beat the Lopers (15-6, 9-6) for the 12thtime in the last 24 meetings between the two.

UNK rolled the Griffs, 76-54, back on December 7 and controlled much of the first half today. A bucket from Iowa graduate forward Shiloh McCool made it 32-23 late in the first half but it was all Mo West for the next 11 minutes. They tallied the final field goal of the quarter and then took the third by a 32-8 margin. The Lopers won the other quarters by a combined tally of 53-41.

"They scored 25 in the first half and then 32 in the third quarter ... that's insane," said UNK head coach Drew Johnson on the KRVN Radio post-game show. "That just can't happen."

MWSU was 12 of 15 from the field (2 of 3 threes) in the first 10 minutes of the second half while UNK was just 3 of 14. The Lopers also committed four turnovers which led to 10 Griff points.

"We'll go back to the drawing board. You knew it was going to be tough this weekend, but we let an opportunity slip away. This should've been a great game in the fourth quarter," said Johnson.

All 11 players that took to the court for the Griffs scored with everyone between four and 14 points. They finished the day outshooting UNK by 10 percentage points while getting 16 points off turnovers and netting 32 bench points. Starters Brionna Budgetts (14 points, four rebounds, three assists) and Jayme Jackson (12 points, three blocks, two rebounds) led the way.

"That really decided to sink (into the lane) in the second half. You can't go 3 of 19 from three when they do that … they really packed the paint after the break," said Johnson. "We had some open ones and you've got to find a way to make a couple of them. They just didn't go into tonight."

UNK was paced by McCool's 15 points and 10 rebounds, making this her 29th career double double, with point guard Jillian Aschoff providing 13 points, six rebounds, six fouls drawn, four steals, and two assists. McCool also reaches 900 career rebounds (901), joining Heather Steffen ('04/906) and Klaire Kirsch ('23/1,211) as the only Lopers to do so. Finally, Kansas freshman reserve forward Jordan Sears had six points on 4 of 4 free throw shooting.

The Blue & Gold returns home next weekend to face Central Oklahoma and Newman.

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