FULTON, Mo. – [BOX SCORE] Missouri Baptist struggled mightily in the opening 20 minutes against the William Woods Owls on Saturday and were unable to climb out of a 25-point halftime hole in a 68-50 loss on the road.
Missouri Baptist (4-11, 4-7 AMC) shot a season-worst 18 percent from the floor and 29 percent on the day as the Owls handed the Spartans their third loss of the 2015 calendar year.
William Woods began with strong ball pressure and grabbed the early advantage. The Owls went on a 13-0 run in the first six minutes of Saturday's contest and never looked back.
Though Missouri Baptist never led, the team did win the turnover battle. The Spartans committed just 11 turnovers, their lowest total of the year, but did not convert on several opportunities under the rim. The Spartans posted just nine points in the paint in the game.
With leading scorer Taylor Klingelhoefer out with an upper-body injury sustained on Thursday against Stephens College, the Spartans looked to Jerica Hawkins and Aimee Iverson to carry the offensive load.
Iverson, the point guard from Sherrard, Ill., finished Saturday's contest with a career-high 17 points while Hawkins posted her second career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Nia Lateju and Kennedy Volkert led William Woods in the game. The duo combined for 24 points and 16 rebounds on the day.
Missouri Baptist will now get a full week off prior to its next game against the Hannibal-LaGrange Trojans. Game time is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. in Hannibal, Mo.
