BOLIVAR, Mo. – The Southwest Baptist University women’s basketball team fell at home to Northwest Missouri on Saturday afternoon 79-72. With the loss SBU drops to 11-5 (3-4 MIAA) on the season.
Both teams traded three pointers to open up the game, and an old fashioned three point play by Aliyah Isaac gave SBU the 6-5 lead with 8:33 remaining in the quarter. After NWMSU took the lead back at 11-9, SBU responded with a small 4-0 run to re-take the lead at 13-11. Scoring would go back and forth before Northwest Missouri used an 8-0 run to close out the quarter with SBU trailing 25-17.
Northwest Missouri would extend their lead to 12 in the opening minutes of the second quarter before Southwest Baptist answered back. Layups from Morgan Henderson, Mackenzie Skupa, Kameron Schaaf, and Megan Rosenbohm brought SBU back within four at 29-25 with 7:07 left in the half. NWMSU again pushed their lead back to double-digits, but against Southwest Baptist fought back to cut it to four at 37-33. The two teams exchanged buckets for the remainder of the half with SBU going into the break trailing 43-39.
Out of the half a layup from Isaac and two layups from Caylee Richardson gave the Bearcats a 45-43 lead with 8:15 remaining in the quarter. Northwest Missouri promptly responded to re-take the lead, but a pair of free throws from Isaac once again tied the game at 49 all with 5:38 remaining in the quarter. Six lead changes would occur for the remainder of the quarter, with neither team leading by more than two, before going into the fourth quarter tied 61-61.
In the final quarter of play Northwest Missouri and Southwest Baptist would find themselves tied 68-68 with 5:39 to go. Northwest Missouri would then go on a 7-0 run over the next three minutes of the game, as SBU trailed 75-68 with 2:42 remaining. Southwest Baptist chipped away at the lead, with a pair of free throws from Richardson and a jumper from Rosenbohm to cut the deficit to 75-72 with 1:05 remaining. SBU forced a NWMSU turnover on the following possession, but were unable to connect on their three attempt. Southwest Baptist was forced to foul, as they would eventually fall 79-72.
Mackenzie Skupa and Megan Rosenbohm both had a team high 15 points and a team high 7 rebounds. Caylee Richardson and Kameron Schaaf both chipped in 10 points in the loss. As a team SBU shot 45.8% from the field, 20.0% from beyond the arc, and 80.0% from the line.
SBU will return to action on Thursday, January 19 when they travel to Lindenwood. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. from St. Charles, Missouri
